Heavier Kettlebell Simple and Sinister at Lunch

Yesterday, only got in about 6.1K steps which is 900 short of my 7K daily goal. Friday and Saturday were even worse. I didn't do any mobility, flexibility and stability work yesterday either.

Today, I felt good. Decided to go heavier on a few sets of swings and get ups.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

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

Plank 30 secs, 15 secs, 10 secs, 5 secs

8/10 Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Swings 4x10x16kg
• One Hand Swings 4x10x20kg
• Get Ups 4x1x16kg
• Get Ups 4x1x20kg

Cool Down Stretching Super Sets

• 90/90 Stretch 3x30 seconds per side
• QL Straddle Stretch 3x30 seconds per side

Movement prep and planks took 13:01. Set one of squats equals struggle bus. All the rest of movement prep was fine. I intended to accumulate 60 seconds of plank time in 1x30 seconds and 2x15 seconds. Had to break that last 15 into 10 seconds and 5 seconds. For some reason my shoulders just gave up. I'll do better next time.

As I wrote earlier I was feeling good and strong today so my initial thought was to do 1 set each on each side of swings and get ups at 20kg instead of the 16kg I have been using for the last few weeks. I ended up doing half of all my sets with the 20kg and it felt good. I'll try to repeat this on my next two training sessions. Time was 26:35, which is about twice as long as a test of 8 sets each of swings and gets up should take, 13 minutes.

Did my normal cool down routine. It took 8:01. Got to make sure I do an Original Strength reset at least on the days I don't do kettlebells. I've also been doing 30-60 seconds of the Bretzel 1.0 before bed on kettlebell days.

Day 7 of Rdella Training 21 Day Turkish Getup Challenge

I missed some time due to hip pain again! Spent a week just getting up and doing five minutes of mobility everyday and just trying to walk a decent amount. This past seven days I've been doing that five minutes of mobility and then doing Scott Iardella's 21 Day Turkish Getup Challenge.

Yesterday and today I did an Original Strength reset and then on to the get ups. Today, in between the reset and the get ups I did an armbar per side and the McGill Big three.

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 - 20 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 25 lbs.

McGill Big Three

• Curl Up 6x10 secs each, 4x10 secs each, 2x10 secs each
• Side Plank 6x10 secs each per side, 4x10 secs each per side, 2x10 secs each per side
• Bird Dog 6x10 secs each per side, 4x10 secs each per side, 2x10 secs each per side

Turkish Get Up R, L, R, L x 25 lbs. 

Total time was 41:34. That seems like a really long time for the amount of work I did but maybe it's right.

Lunchtime Mobility and Walking

My hips were hurting pretty badly yesterday even. Really everything in my pelvic region, all the hip
flexors and extensors. I spent a good deal of time stretching, mobilizing and rolling all the tissues out I could before bed. Felt a little better today but my left hip still hurts.

Therefore, I've decided not to do any kettlebell work today. I decided instead to do my normal performance preparation during lunch time and take a little walk around the building.

Performance Preparation

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 - 20 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes

Wide Leg Founder 1

McGill Big Three

• Bird Dog
• Rolling Plank
• Curl Up

That will be all for today. If my hip feels better tomorrow I'll practice kettlebells again then.

Cool Morning Kettlebell Practice

After sleeping in and relaxing in the cool morning air over a couple of cups of coffee I got down to a quick kettlebell practice session.

Warm Up Original Strength Reset

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

Wide Leg Founder 1

Simple and Sinister 

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 1 x 10 x 44 lbs.
• One Hand Kettlebells Swings 4 x 5L, 5R x 44lbs
• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 1 x 10 x 53 lbs.
• One Hand Kettlebells Swings 4 x 5L, 5R x 53lbs
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 35 lbs. per side
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 44 lbs. per side

The warm up took 11:29. Felt good. Moved on to kettlebells. Followed same set and rep scheme as last time. Felt really good when I was finished. Kettlebell practice took 19:08. Pretty speedy. Repeat tomorrow. I think I'll be ordering some heavier kettlebells by the end of the year, say a pair of 62s and a pair of 70s. I really like my Rogue kettlebells.

Tai Chi and Kettlebells

Yesterday was an active recovery day. Before work I did an Original Strength reset and a Founder. I felt good, but on my way to the office started feeling light headed and a bad headache. Think my BP was up. Went home and slept. Woke up feeling better and went to a 1.5 hour evening Yang style Tai Chi class.

Today feeling pretty good. Got up and did my normal kettlebell routine.

Warm Up 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 - 20 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes

Wide Leg Founder 1

Simple and Sinister 

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 1 x 10 x 44 lbs.
• One Hand Kettlebells Swings 4 x 5L, 5R x 44lbs
• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 1 x 10 x 53 lbs.
• One Hand Kettlebells Swings 4 x 5L, 5R x 53lbs
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 35 lbs. per side
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 44 lbs. per side

Warm up 17:05. Kettlebells 20:09. It was warm this morning. I was slow on my get ups after the quicker sets of swings. I'm getting stronger though.

This evening another Tai Chi class, this time Chen style only an hour.

All I Wanted to Do After Work Was Sleep

All I wanted to do after work was sleep. I was going round and round in my head as I was driving home "Go to sleep, do your kettlebell training, go to sleep, do your kettlebell training..." When I got home I put on my workout clothes and my headphones. I started listening to a back episode of the Half Size Me podcast. I stretched out on a couch in the den while listening and did drift off to sleep for a while. I woke up listened a little more then went outside and got my training on.

Started out warm ups with an Original Strength 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

Followed up with my standard Simple and Sinister warm up and practice.

 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Goblet Squats w/ 35# kettlebell
• Hip Bridges
• 20# Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35#
• Kettlebell Swings 3 x 10 x 44#
• Turkish Get Ups 3x 1 x 35# (per side)

Last post I said I would do the full S&S today but since I was tired I decided to do this shortened version. However, I did go up on weight for the final three sets of swings. BTW, I did the swings EMOM fashion. Felt good and finished the swings and getups in 10:35. Once again the warm ups took a bit more than twice that at about 23 minutes.

First Training Session in a LONG Time

I spent the first two months of the year fighting cycles of bronchitis and sinus infections. This severely hampered my ability to train. I did Original Strength resets sporadically and walked occasionally. My first step back into training was attending the StrongFirst Kettlebell Course in Clyde, NC  on 03/06/2016 with Betsy Collie (StrongFirst Senior SFG Instructor) of Rapid Results Fitness. I'll write more about that in a separate post but I was pretty sore from that eight hour class.

The last two days I just did a daily OS reset but today I had an early meeting via WebEx w/ some team members in India and here in the USA. So, after that I decided to get in a short training session at home before heading to the office.

Started out warm ups with an OS 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

Followed up with my standard Simple and Sinister warm up and practice.

 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Goblet Squats w/ 35# kettlebell
• Hip Bridges
• 20# Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 5 x 10 x 35#
• Turkish Get Ups 3x 1 x 35# (per side)

All that warming up took about 26 minutes, longer than the 12 minutes of kettlebell training! I decided since I haven't really trained for two months that I would cut S&S about in half. I also dropped my swing weight back down to 35# just to be on the safe side. I knocked it out. Friday I will step up to the full number of sets. Felt good to be back at it.

Bronchitis Sucks

Where've I been for the last month you ask? Fighting bronchitis. After antibiotics and steroids and a lot of rest I'm most feeling better. I do still have a bit of a cough but it's not all day and night like it was. Nor am I bringing up thick, green, gross phlegm. I lost a whole month of training to this illness.

This morning I did an Original Strength reset inside. It was dry out but cool and all the cars were in the carport and driveway.

• 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

This afternoon after dropping my younger son off at GCYO Sinfonia practice over at Wade Hampton High School I did my Simple and Sinister warm up and practice in the big parking lot by the school's football stadium.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Deep, assisted squats
• Hip Bridges
• Light Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35#
• Kettlebell Swings 8 x 10 x 53#
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35# (per side)

When I picked up my 53# bell today for the first time in a month damn if it didn't feel HEAVY! I decided the better part of valor would be to start out w/ 2 sets of swings at 35# to make sure my body was ready for the 53#. I completed the swings in EMOM fashion. It takes me about 15 seconds to do 10 swings, so that left a 45 second rest period after each set.

For the turkish gets ups I stayed w/ the 35# weight I had worked up to in December. I alternated sides and did 5 sets of 1 rep. I was breathing pretty heavily after these two exercises but not nearly as bad as I thought I would be. Also, they didn't set off a coughing spell so that was very good.

Since I missed a month of training I think I'll do S&S every other day for a couple of weeks before gradually ramping back up to every day. As it is, just a couple of hours later, I can really feel the soreness in my hamstrings, glutes and mid & low back from swings. Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, my triceps are sore from the get ups.

Simple and Sinister Day 22 Done Outside on 20160101

After a slow start this morning I began 2016 with a nice training session. First up an Original Strength restorative reset for my body.

• 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

It hasn't rained today and amazingly the carport and driveway are dry. So, I went outside and did the rolling. The grass and the earth under it are still very wet so back inside for the rocking and crawling. Then on to the Simple and Sinister warm up and practice.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Deep, assisted squats
• Hip Bridges
• Light Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

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

Warm up went well. Hip felt pretty good, squats didn't irritate it as much as some days the past few weeks. For some reason I threw in 1 one handed swing for each hand in the first set of swings. Kinda' ridiculous and I could feel I wasn't ready for it yet. I could feel my form slip. After that little experiment I stuck w/ two hand swings for all the rest of the sets and reps.

The get ups went well. On one set w/ the bell in my right hand I let my arm waver, not a good idea but at least I didn't injure myself. Took about 15 seconds longer today to get through the get ups. Also, I realized I had only been taking a 45 second rest between the swings and get ups the last few sessions. Took a full minute today. Total time 18:14. I also did an original strength reset as a cool down. Did all the moves outside except crawling since as mentioned before the ground is still wet.

Orange Bowl Halftime Simple and Sinister

I did my normal Original Strength restorative reset before leaving the house for the office this morning.

• 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

Came home this afternoon just about 30 minutes before the Orange Bowl started. I took a few minutes just to rest and relax. However, I knew I wanted to get my Simple and Sinister training in. I figured I would either do it during halftime of the Orange Bowl, or after that game and before the Cotton Bowl.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Deep, assisted squats
• Hip Bridges
• Light Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

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

I started my warm up with about 3 minutes to go in the first half. I didn't miss much as several timeouts and incomplete passes stopped the clock. I got started with the practice right as halftime began. I used the same work to rest ratio 15 secs/ 35 secs as last time for the swings. I was huffing pretty good. This is my third time using this work/rest ratio. I think I'll be sticking here for a few more days.

Took the prescribed one minute rest after the swings and then got right on the get ups. I didn't rush the movements but tried to rest as little as possible between reps. There is a point where the right knee is down on the mat and you rotate the leg, for some reason this hurts a little spot on my knee. I think it's where one of the scars is from arthroscopic surgery a few years ago. It's not major pain just annoying like a pinch. I finished these in about 9:08. Total time for the practice was 17:43 and I was done just in time for the beginning of the second half.

Training Inspiration from Marco Polo's Hundred Eyes

I didn't train for two days. Is has been raining almost non stop so my last training session was indoors. On Christmas Eve I'm not sure why I didn't train except my left hip was not happy, giving me pain that is. Also, I'm on call this week and my Christmas eve sleep was wrecked by on call duties. That led me to not train on Christmas day.

Today my hips and low back were quite stiff. I knew I needed to train. I even put on my workout gear as soon as I got up. However, I didn't get around to my Simple and Sinister routine until late in the afternoon and only after being inspired by the back story of Hundred Eyes of the NetFlix original series Marco Polo. I know it's not a real story but the thought of the training required to be a master of Wudang Kung Fu, and then to remaster the art after being blinded is inspiring. So outside I went to start my kettlebell practice since it was sunny for the first time in days.

I started with an Original Strength reset and then the normal S&S warm up I do.

• 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

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

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

The Practice

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

Normal swings done EMOM. Felt nice and strong. Got the get ups done in about 9.5 minutes. I'm getting used to the 35# bell for the get ups. However ,by the time I was done I was huffing and puffing and sweating quite a bit. Even so, the exercise makes me feel good and I've got energy left in my "bank".

Simple and Sinister Day 17 20151223

I took yesterday off as my hip was hurting more than usual. I did do an Original Strength reset and two unloaded Turkish Get Ups per side after work.

This morning I did that same little session at work. As usual I spent most of the day standing up for work. Once I got home I quickly set up indoors for my Simple and Sinister training since it had been raining for nearly 24 hours. I don't have a garage just a carport and the rain makes the floor slippery.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

• Deep, assisted, Prying Squats
• Hip Bridges
• Light Kettlebell Halo
• Bird Dogs

The Practice

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

I cranked right through the routine. Felt good. My swings were powerful and fluid. I do have to queue myself to "try and crush a walnut between my ass cheeks" at the top position from time to time. I did the swings EMOM.

After a one minute break I got rolling on the get up. I had to push myself on these to get close to finishing on time. I actually took 15 seconds longer than the allotted 10 minutes to complete them.

The above is my post workout meal and actually my first meal of the day. Two palms worth of protein, two hands of veggies, one hand of rice ala Precision Nutrition.

Simple and Sinister Day 15 20151220

After losing an average of two pounds a week for the first two weeks of December when I weighed in yesterday I had only lost 0.2 pounds. I attribute that slow down to not exercising two days this past week and some unusual eating. We had a Christmas party at work with heavy hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine. Not only did I eat quite a bit, I drank several beers there and once I got home which led to one of the days when I skipped training. I also bought doughnuts for the office and ate 3 myself that day.

Anyway, after getting up late and reading I did some chores. By mid-afternoon I got started with my exercise.

• 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

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

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

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 7 x 10 x 53#
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35# (per side)

Since I didn't get my Original Strength reset in early this morning I started my warm up with it. Then on to Simple and Sinister warm up and practice. The OS reset by itself makes me feel good. The brief S&S routine makes me feel good, too. It's nice to wake up in the morning without pain. These simple exercises are strengthening and stabilizing my core and back, as well as improving my hip flexibility and mobility. 

I think I'll stay with the 7 sets of swings at 53 pounds for another day and then add another set or two. The first goal is ten sets of ten reps. The next goal is to get those ten sets of 10 done in five minutes or less. Once I've got that down I'll work on moving my get up weight to 44 pounds.

Chilly Afternoon Simple and Sinister

I was in a bad mood today. I knew I would feel better if I got outside and did some exercise but I kept procrastinating. I didn't get out there until after 1630 hours. I started with and Original Strength reset. I figured if I didn't feel good once that was completed that I would stop.

• 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

I felt good after the reset so I figured I would go on with the Simple and Sinister warmup. And evaluate again.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

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

I felt well enough after the warm up so I proceed with main sets. Not only that I decided to go with the 53 lb kettlebell on all sets.

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 7 x 10 x 53#
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35# (per side)

I felt much better mentally, emotionally and physically once I finished. It was one of those days where I just had to get started and then roll on and it turned out to be a good training session. Oh and as for chilly, it was 44°F or so while I was training. Chilly for SC but no where near real cold temperatures but it is all relative is it not? Amazingly enough my hip did not hurt.

Simple and Sinister Day 13 20151218

I didn't do an Original Strength reset yesterday. I didn't train yesterday as we had our office Christmas party and I had a few beers. Kettlebells after beer didn't seem like a good idea. My morning routine got interrupted today by an "emergency" from work so again I didn't press reset. I did get my training on once I got home from the office though.

Warm Up 3 circuits 5 reps each exercise

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

The Practice

• Kettlebell Swings 7 x 10 x 35#, 53#, 53#, 53#, 53#, 53#, 35#
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35# (per side)

It is cold outside, 39°F and feels Like 34°! I first went out in sweatpants w/ shorts underneath and a sweatshirt w/ a short sleeved t-shirt underneath. Before I even got started I came back in and put a long sleeved t-shirt on over the short sleeved one and then put my sweatshirt on over both of them. The wind was still cutting through but it was bearable. Once I got moving it was a little better than bearable.

The warm up went okay. My hip didn't hurt too bad. Maybe because I didn't do any real prying in the bottom of the goblet squat and didn't really rock back and forth to stretch things out so much. I just squatted deep and held it for a five or more seconds.

The swings went by rather quickly. I'm getting a good feel for the 53 pounder. I think I'll add on a set or two tomorrow. The final "drop" set at 35 pounds feels ridiculously light. Getting stronger on the 35 pound get ups, too. I think my form is getting better. That's all for today.

Simple and Sinister Day 10 20151213

Another beautiful day in SC. Blue skies and warm. Got outside and got training.

Original Strength 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

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

I love the huge old oak at the end of our driveway but it is also my nemesis. I swept up this whole area and more yesterday. Even while I was working leaves were raining down. I warmed up a little faster than yesterday.

The training went well. Getting used to handling the 53lb/24kg bell on the swings. Getting more solid w/ the 35lb/16kg on get ups, too. I finished the practice 30 seconds under the time limit. Simple and Sinister is the bomb! I need to figure out how I'm going to progress. Should I start working on 15 seconds swinging to 15 seconds rest or start adding more sets in my current work to rest ratio of 15 seconds on to 45 seconds reset? The goal is 10 sets of 10 reps in 5 minutes. I think I'll in the StrongFirst Training/Practice group on Facebook. Or maybe I should transition to more one arm swings?

I also did about two hours of yard work today. I swept, raked and bagged leaves.

Simple and Sinister Day 8 20151210

This morning I did an Original Strength reset and two "shoe" get ups before going to work.

• 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

After lunch I walked a slow 1.22 miles in about 26 minutes. After a work, I almost talked myself out of training. But again, I had been listening to the Super Strength Show all day and was too inspired by the episode with Bud Jeffries that was playing as I drove home to skip. After all Simple and Sinister, the warm up and the practice, only takes about 30 minutes.

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

Felt pretty good after the kettlebell work except for my left hip. So, once again decided to press reset again as a cool down.  Man the guys at OS are really on to something. I felt much better when I was done. Now for dinner, a shower and bed!

Simple and Sinister Day 2 - 20151204

This morning before leaving for work I pressed reset on my body with the Original Strength program. I also did two "shoe" turkish get ups, unloaded except for balance a shoe on the knuckles of the fist of my upraised arm.

This evening I pressed reset again as a warmup before doing Simple and Sinister.

Pressing Reset consists of

• 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

Simple and Sinister

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

That's it. A lot less volume than 300 swings a day but I'm gong to work on using the 53# kettlebell for all 5 sets. I could feel a big difference between the 35# and the 53#. I'm also still getting used to doing the get ups with the 35#. I'm also going to focus on cleaning up my diet. That is all for today.

Unlocking Hip Flexors and Hamstrings

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

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

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