Simple and Sinister Day 4 - 20151206

It was a beautiful, cool Sunday morning. I got outside around 0930, sat in the sun and read the first 50 pages of Death by Food Pyramid while drinking my last cup of coffee. What a book. It is non-fiction, heavily researched and footnoted but reads like a who-done-it page turner. While I was outside some geese came in for a landing in the pond behind my house.

Eventually I got around to exercising out in the sun beginning with an Original Strength reset.

Pressed Reset

• Cross Crawl 20 reps
• Diaphragmatic Breathing 2 minutes
• Head Nods 20 reps
• Segmented rolls 3 reps each direction led by each limb
• Rocking 20 reps
• Baby Crawl 2 minutes

Then I proceeded to the Simple and Sinister warm up and working sets.

 

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Deep, assisted, prying squats
• Hip Bridges
• Light Kettlebell Halo
• Bird dogs

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5 x 10 x 35#, 35#, 53#, 53#, 35#
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35# (per side)

I actually did the OS reset outside for the first time. Nice to have enough room to do three rolls in a row. It was also fun to crawl in the grass.  It is quite interesting how good these simple movements make me feel.

The prying squats are kinda' tough on my left hip. I can only hope the hip will get better as I continue to train and lose weight. The bird dogs are my addition to the warm up. I got the idea of using the bird dogs as part of a warm for a kettlebell swing routine from The Four Hour Body.

I stuck with the same weight pattern as yesterday on the swings. After the 53# swings the 35# in the last set felt like a feather! I think I'll step up to 53# on the last set tomorrow. I was much more focused for all 5 sets of swings. No loss of balance, no loose core. I easily finished 50 swings in 5 minutes. After a one minute break I moved on to the get ups.

Yesterday I watched The Hip Hinge Position in the Get-Up on the Strong First youtube channel. I incorporated the correction the instructor detailed in the video. It is definitely better than "flopping" onto my hand when returning to the ground. I just barely finished the get ups in the prescribed ten minutes.

It was so nice and I felt so good that I couldn't resist doing a little more work. I did Dan John's Waiter Walk-Front Rack Walk-Suitcase Walk up and down my driveway (waiter down, front rack up, suitcase down and up) first with my right hand then my left hand. I only used a 25# kettlebell. I followed it up with a farmers carry walk with 44# kettlebells in each hand down and back.

Thanks to Tim Ferriss Triple H and HalfSizeMe Heather

Sunday we went on a long, long (for me) hike in the mountains. It was fun but it took a lot out of me and made me very sore in the feet and calves, and to a lesser extent in my low back and hip flexors. This hike was in lieu of my scheduled kettlebell training. I was too sore for kettlebells on Monday but did do some exercise.

I'm on call this week and wouldn't you know it, in the wee hours of Tuesday morning I was paged and up for 2 or 3 hours. I slept in after that, but not enough. I went into the office in the afternoon and worked later than normal. When I got home around 1900 hours I changed into my workout clothes and stretched out on my bed for a few minutes listening to an inspirational weight loss oriented podcast, Half Size Me, by Heather Robertson. I fell asleep for about 20 minutes listening to it.

I woke up feeling somewhat more refreshed but kinda' not wanting to train. I rewound the episode of Half Size Me to the point where I fell asleep and started listening again. I also thought about an interview with Triple H, of WWE fame, by Tim Ferriss in which Triple H talked about how he never missed a day of training even when traveling and currently trains at 2200 hours after a full day's work as an executive for WWE. I decided to at least go for a walk and before I knew it I was feeling even better and got down to my kettlebell training.

Warm Up Walk 0.60 miles in 14:05 for average speed of 2.5 mph.

FMS Corrective Exercises and Calisthenic Circuits 30:13 minutes.

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 25# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction) w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

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 7x1x25# (per side)

So, my kettlebell training took 48:37 minutes. That's 10 minutes longer than last time. I did 299 reps of swings with the same weight as opposed to 292, and one more set of get ups. All as planned. However, I think I took a much longer break between swings and get ups, on the order of 4 or 5 minutes versus 2.5. I think I'll chalk that up to residual tiredness from the on call work and the long weekend hike.

Overall it was a good training session. I focused more on getting the hip hinge better and could absolutely feel more of a good ache in my hamstrings and glutes when I finished. The higher volume or reps, still every minute on the minute, combined with the additional 5 minutes required for the 4th group of 5 sets really had my heart racing, lungs pumping and sweat pouring.

I occasionally got a little wobbly on the turkish get ups. I think that was due to the accumulated fatigue and the fact that I'm really trying to focus on proper hand, arm and shoulder position on the hand/arm holding the kettlebell. Getting better every time! Also, I ended the day w/ 9246 steps.

Interrupted Training Session

I got home after 6:00 PM, probably closer to 6:30 PM. However, I was determined not to skip my training. I got changed and assembled my equipment. Then I went off for a short, warmup walk. About 3/4's of the way through my walk, I got a phone call from an unknown number. I ignored it which is my SOP.

Once I got home I checked my voicemail. It was work. Damn it. I stopped for at least half an hour and attempted to address the problem. No dice. Passed it off to others. I was tempted to just wait until the morning to train but then I remember Triple H discussing with Tim Ferriss his 10:00 PM workouts after a full days work and time with his kids. So, back outside I went.

Warm Up

Walk 14:46, 0.54 miles for an average of 2.2 mph.

Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each 13 minutes

• Prying Goblet Squat w/ 15# kettlebell
• Lying Hip Extension
• Halo (each direction) w/ 15# kettlebell
• Flying Dog (5 reps per side)

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x15x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

By the way this was after a 37:24, 1.63 mile walk at lunch time. Anyway, after the interruption caused by work I got on with the warmup circuits. Enough time had passed so I was somewhat stiff and cool again. It really took me all three circuits to get loose.

On to the swings. First group of 5 sets of 10 was normal. Felt easy but got my heart rate up more with a light sweat and somewhat accelerated breathing. The second group was where the work began. Laddered up from 11 to 15 reps. Was sweating moderately, breathing harder with faster heart rate when complete. 

The third group of 5 sets were challenging. 15 reps every set was almost equal work and rest in a minute. I generally finished my reps at 28 or 29 seconds giving me 32 or 31 seconds before the next set was to begin at the top of the minute. Remember I'm doing a set every minute on the minute. When this was done I was sweating profusely and breathing like a breathing like an old steam locomotive.

Collapsed on my yoga mat to catch my breath. However, I think I rested too long. Last session my swings, a break and get ups took 27 minutes. Today I ran up to 30 minutes. It made me wonder if I skipped a set of getups? Nonetheless it was a very good training session. I'm proud of myself for not being deterred. 

While I was doing my get ups I really paid close attention to my form. I watched a couple of videos yesterday which I think really helped: Turkish Get Up Kalos-Sthenos 7 Steps and Dan John TGU Kettlebell DVD Clip. I was able to spot some breaks in form tonight and correct them. Bonus, I'm over 10K steps for the second time this week.

My Glasses Fogged Up

Consistency is the key. I was tempted to skip working out this evening, especially since I worked late. But there was still daylight so I got down to it. Plus I didn't have to cook tonight.

Warm Up

Walk 13:02, 0.54 miles for an average of 2.5 mph.

Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

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

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 15x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

Nothing new and different. Just a good workout, my usual combination of Tracy Reifkind's kettlebell swing workouts and Pavel Tsatsouline's Simple and Sinister. I swing using Tracy's pattern and follow it up with Turkish Get Ups as per Pavel. By the end of the swings I was sweating profusely.

I really want to increase my weight on the Get Ups but I think I better take it slow and make sure my right shoulder can take it. I think I'll buy a 30# kettlebell instead of jumping up from 25# to 35#. Midway through the getups my glasses started fogging up. I was just that hot and sweaty. It seems like I can feel every muscle from the base of my neck down my back and down to my feet. Core muscles got a good workout, too. My legs as a whole feel thoroughly worked. That's it. Good Night!

After 2 Weeks Back to TRifs Workout One

Slack, slack, slack. Last week I was on call and had two bad nights which totally disrupted my sleep and training. Also, my right shoulder is just not up to snuff. I didn't even do any microsets of pushups this week in order to rest it. Anyway, I was feeling sluggish and kinda' depressed. I knew I needed to workout. It was a struggle to get started. But I got started.

Warm Up

Walk 15:00, 0.56 miles for an average of 2.2 mph.

Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each

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

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 15x10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

I walked slowly through a light rain. I still wasn't feeling it after the walk. I sat down for a couple of minutes then told myself I would at least do my warmup circuits and if I didn't feel it after that I would stop. I still really didn't feel it after the circuits, but I said well just do the first 5 sets of swings of Tracy Reifkind's Workout One after that I could quit. 

Once I had knocked those out I decided to just keep on going and I felt reasonably good. I figured if I wasn't in to it after the swings I would skip the get ups. But I really did feel good after the swings and finished up with the get ups. But in deference to my shoulder I dropped the weight to 25 pounds. It felt really light but it was for the best. In fact even after two weeks off the 35# bell felt kinda light on the swings.

Combo Tracy Reifkind with Simple and Sinister

So, to really make sense of this we have to go back a ways. I was introduced to the kettlebell swing by Tim Ferriss' post The Perfect Posterior: Kettlebell Swings and Cheap Alternatives. That post introduced me to Tracy Reifkind who is also featured in Ferriss' book The Four Hour Body. Tracy now has her own book The Swing!

I've been following Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline.  I had just been doing 5 sets of 10 swings and 5 sets of Turkish Get Ups 1 rep per side. That didn't seem like enough volume for me to accomplish my fat and weight loss goals. After waiting a month, I bought The Swing! and read it quickly in one evening. I also found a video of her demonstrating her Workout #1.

So what is the combination? It's higher sets of swings, 15 in fact, as per Tracy combined with the Turkish Get Ups from Pavel. I started my training with a 10 minute walk. Then I went on to

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
• Kettlebell Swings 5x10x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x8x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

Now, not to sell Simple and Sinister short. If I recall correctly you can go up to 10 sets of 10 swings. But today I did 15 sets of swings for 140 total reps. That's 90 more reps than I had been doing. Another nice thing was that I followed along w/ Tracy's video which helped me focus on stay with her 10 reps every minute on the minute as well as getting my 10 swings done in 15 seconds.

I think my breaks between sets before were too long. But it is also possible that I'm getting in better shape. Anyway, having the video helped keep my on track. I'm not willing to dispense with the get ups. The combination of the fast, powerful swings with the slower getups is a great combination. I'm pleased with how my body feels. I finished up with a 22:27 minute walk in which I covered 1.04 miles. I thought I was moving a little faster than that, oh well.

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.

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!

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.