Grunt Work Re-test

Nineteen days ago I tested a Grunt Work AMRAP session of double kettlebell deadlifts and farmers carries. Back then I made it through the round of 12 deadlifts and a final 50 foot farmer carry w/ a pair of 20kg (44lb) kettlebells.

Today I tried it again. Same weights. Differences, today I did it in the early afternoon instead of after work. It was much hotter today (94F vs 80F). I trained in a fasted state. I did the same movement prep I usually do for my Simple and Sinister training whereas I did no warm up last time.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

1. Assisted Squats 3x5
2. Hip Bridge(Raise) 3x5 
3. Kettlebell Halo 3x5 per direction 35lbs.
4. Plank 3x30 secs

In the movement prep I did the planks as a movement in the giant set instead of as a stand alone exercise after the completion of the giant set. I think this allowed me to get more time in the planks as compared to the last few training sessions. Total time was 15:02

Following the formula in the included image I made it up to and completed the round of 16 reps of deadlifts and a final 50 foot farmers carry. Again, I was blasted when I finished. I resisted the urge to collapse on the ground and instead slowly walked around shaking my arms and legs until I got my breathing back under control. 

Finished w/ my normal S&S cool down stretches. I figured that would work as deadlifts and kettlebell swings are both working the hinge pattern.

Cool Down Stretching Super Sets

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

Cool down time was 8:23.

Getting Stronger

I almost skipped training today. Waited until late in the afternoon. I got it done.

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, 15 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

I was stiff today. Movement prep was challenging especially squats. But I was warm and loose afterwards. Planks are not getting easier. Prep and planks took 13:00.

The heavier sets of swings and get ups are getting easier. I feel stronger. My shirts are feeling tighter around the arms, shoulders and chest even though I'm not specifically targeting those areas. Sunday is test day, 80 swings in 4 minutes or less followed by 1 minute rest and then 8 get ups in 8 minutes or less. Total time 26:35. Next cycle is 10 sets each, I'll also shave some rest time off for each set.

Normal cool down. Felt good. Was walking better afterwards. Felt really good overall. Cool down took 8:17.

60 Percent Simple and Sinister Test

Today is my seventh session doing 60 swings and 6 get ups with the 16kg kettlebell. So, as per my plan I'm testing today to see if I can get the swings done in 3 minutes or less, rest a minute, and then get 6 get ups done (alternating sides) in 6 minutes or less. The 60 percent is referring to the number of sets not the weight. The weight I'm using is 50% of the Simple Goal which is to be done with a 32kg, and 33% of the Sinister Goal which requires using a 48kg kettlebell.

Movement Prep Giant Sets

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

6/10 Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Swings 6x10x16kg
• Get Ups 6x1x16kg

Cool Down Stretching Giant Sets

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

Hardstyle Plank 1x30 seconds

I DID IT! I was able to do my 60 swings in 3 minutes! I was sucking wind like crazy, but I did it. My glutes and hamstrings were on fire, but I did it! I also completed my get ups in the alloted 6 minutes. I'm used to doing 1 get up EMOM but not after doing swings in an 1:1 work to rest ratio. Even with the one minute break after the swings my breathing wasn't back to normal, but it was good enough to get the work done.

Next step is to increase to 8 sets each of swings and get ups. Then on my 7th session of that test again. If I can do that in under 13 minutes total, I'll go up to 10 sets of each. But let me not get too far ahead of myself. One training session at a time, grasshopper, one kettlebell practice at a time.

Cool Spring Evening Sweat Angels

I took a couple of days off because of work and family responsibilites plus my hip was hurting. I think I should probably only do two days of S&S in a row, at least for now.

Today, I didn't get up early enough to train before work. Was too hungry to train at lunch time. Decided to
train while Miles was at lacrosse practice but went down a "rabbit hole" for work and ran out of time. Once I returned from picking him up I got to it.

It was kinda' cool after all the rain of the last couple of days. Guess a cold front came through. It was still pleasant but I managed to leave a little sweat angel when I finished working out.

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

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

McGill Big Three

• Bird Dog
• Rolling Plank
• Curl Up

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L x 1 x 25 lbs

Warm up was good. Nothing much changed since last time though I did do the arm bar before core work. Felt good and ready to go on to kettlebell practice. Total warm up time  21:06.

Swings were pretty good. Hip hust a little bit but not too bad. Good form. My get ups were mostly garbage. Wobbling here and there. Moving too fast at times. Not keeping my elbow locked out on the arm holding the kettlebell. Just garbage. I think I got it back together for the last two maybe. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Total kettlebell time 16:46.

Beautiful Day Kettlebell Practice

Worked from home today. Took lunch break at 1300 hours and instead of eating I got in my kettlebell practice. It was about 78°F but with low humidity and a light breeze. Perfect for an outdoor training session.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings R, L, R, L, R, L x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L, R, L x 1 x 25 lbs 

Got distracted and didn't finish posting this yesterday, 04/13/2017. This. It was a good training session. Warm up 16:30, kettlebell practice 12:34.

Another Short and Light Kettlebell Practice

Got started a little late considering it is weekday. Left hip didn't feel to bad this morning. I think the pain yesterday was due to all the walking I did on Saturday cutting grass combined with the training. Maybe I should skip training if I am going to cut grass? Worth an experiment.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings R, L, R, L, R, L x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L, R, L x 1 x 25 lbs

Nice warm morning. Normal performance preparation which took 18:18. Nicely loose and warm with a light sweat by the time I finished. Went on to shortened Simple and Sinister. Not pushing too hard as I just want to get back in the groove. Felt good. Swings got my breath going pretty good. Wish my respiratory system wasn't so clogged due all the pollen. Moved a little faster today on get ups but still focused on good positions and movement. Total kettlebell time 12:42. My right shoulder feels a little more sore post training than I would like. Think I'll do a little self-care for it tonight.

Another Nice Day for Outdoor Training

A nice day. Not too hot, not too cold. One draw back is the pollen is killing me! Nevertheless I got my training done. Had a hard morning with my hip though. Painful and struggled to get it to "get in place" over and over again.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R, L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R, L, R x 1 x 25 lbs L, R

Warm up as normal. Made my hip feel better though not totally pain free. Prep time 18:24. Kept with the light weights and the abbreviated number of sets. Swings were good. Nice snap to hips. Really took my time on the get ups to make sure I was in good position. Kettlebell time 13:02.

Hard Time Getting Back into Routine

Wonderful spring day for outdoor training. Having a hard time getting back into my routine. Ten days since my last training session. Got to do better.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings R, L, R, L, R, L, x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L, R, L x 1 x 25 lbs L, R

Normal prep. Did a short, light kettlebell practice. Hip hurts a little bit. Need to do more flexibility and mobility for my hips and in general. Right shoulder felt okay today so maybe the extra time off was a good thing. Prep time 18:46 and kettlebell time 11:52.

Short Light Simple and Sinister

Another wonderful day for outdoor training. Awesome to be outside training barefoot.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings R, L, R, L, R, L, x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L, R, L x 1 x 25 lbs L, R

Normal prep. Same number of sets and reps as yesterday. Did all get ups with the 25. Prep time 17:13, kettlebell practice time 10:42. Can feel all sorts of muscles, just a touch of soreness. Felt it just from the original strength only sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

Forgot to Post My 20160328 Training

Light and short Simple and Sinister practice.

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

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R, L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R x 1 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R x 1 x 25 lbs L, R

Normal performance preparation. Cut down S&S by about half and lowered the weight again. My right should felt not so good when posting on my right arm with the 35 lb kettlebell during get ups. Dropped the weight down to 25lbs. Felt ok with that. Training was good overall. Prep time 19:58, kettlebell time 11:42.

Warm Morning Simple and Sinister

I took Sunday off. After four straight days of training I just wasn't feeling it. Took yesterday off as I got only 6.25 hours of sleep. Got 8.5 hours of sleep last night. And even though I got up later than planned, though still early, I got in my training before heading to the office. I plan on volunteering on the sideline  for Eastside High's boy's lacrosse scrimmage against Clover High tonight so there was no other time for me to train.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 44 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R x 1 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R x 1 x 44 lbs R, L
• Turkish Get Ups L, R x 1 x 35 lbs per side

I had intended to include some direct ab work in today's performance prep but since I was short on time I didn't do it. Prep was good. Nothing new or special. Total prep time 18:21.

Kettlebell practice was good. My right shoulder is still a little bit tweaked from Saturday's training session. I felt it a little on swings, focused on keeping my shoulders packed and retracted. Could feel it a little more on the get ups. But overall it was fine. Total kettlebell town 20:43. Total steps yesterday 7113, 6614 on Sunday, and 10993 on Saturday. Check out the sweat angel, produced even though the temperature was only in the mid 50s Fahrenheit!

Chilly Simple and Sinister

Got up at 0615. But I didn't start training until 0845. I had an email to write to my son's lacrosse coaches. I did some dishes. I swept the kitchen floor. And on and on. But I made it outside and meditated for 10 minutes then got down to training.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 25 lbs.
2 Supersets Push-ups & Australian Pull-ups 8, 8

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 44 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R , L x 1 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups R, L, R, L x 1 x 44 lbs R, L
• Turkish Get Ups R, L x 1 x 35 lbs per side

Nice performance prep. Still need to look into progressing from the beginner moves of the Original Strength reset to the next level. Added in 2 supersets of push-ups and Australian push-ups. Only managed 8 reps each set as opposed to last time I did this superset when I got 10 and 8 reps. Total prep time 24:21.

Same sets and reps for swings and get ups as yesterday. Felt good. Nice form and power. Doing swings and get ups is really a kind of moving meditation. You have to be present, dialed in to your movement. Third training day in a row. Got a lot scheduled tomorrow, I'll need to get up earlier and get started sooner if I'm going to train tomorrow. Total time today 20:47. Only got in 6880 steps yesterday, my hip was pretty sore. :-(

T-Shirt, Shorts and Kettlebells

Man, it is February 1st and 70F! After getting paged at 0550 this morning and spending the next four hours working on the problem I got outside about midday to train. It was beautiful! Sunny and warm. The weather, despite the hint of global warming, and exercise improved my mood considerably. I trained in shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. If the concrete carport floor hadn't been so cool I probably would have trained shirtless and really barefoot to get maximum sun exposure.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

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

6 Minute Abs

1. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
2. Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R, L, R x 10 x 44 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings L, R x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R x 1 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups L, R, L, R x 1 x 44 lbs L, R
• Turkish Get Ups L, R x 1 x 35 lbs L, R

Nice warm up. Hips not quite as stiff as Monday. Left not as painful as yesterday. It's been six days since I worked my abs directly so I got that in today. Total prep time 24:32.

Swings felt good. Back muscles were getting a bit fatigued by the 8th set but I was able to maintain good form and power. I was a little unstable in the first two sets of get ups with the 44lb kettlebell. Tightened form on last four sets. Good training session overall. Total kettlebell time 21:31.

Only got 6713 steps yesterday. Stuck in meetings more than half the day, plus since my hip hurt I didn't push to get my 9K once I left work. 

Monday Morning Kettlebell Practice

I got plenty of sleep over the weekend. Took some megadoses of vitamin C, too despite there being little evidence of the efficacy against the common cold. However, I feel better. I know it's anecdotal and a "N of 1" experiment, but oh well. I was good enough to go today so I did.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

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

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 4 x 10 x 35 lbs  L, R
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 4 x 10 x 44 lbs  L, R
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs  L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 35 lbs L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 44 lbs L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 2 x 1 x 35 lbs L, R

Good prep, good training session overall. Felt really good to get loosened up, to be outside in the sunshine and cool crisp air. Original Strength resets really make me feel good. When I don't do at least one reset a day I can tell the difference. Total prep time 20:37. Cold and breezy enough that I kept my sweats on for the entire training session.

On to Simple and Sinister. Did all sets of swings one handed. Felt strong. Good form and power through all sets. Get ups were strong. The sets with the 44lb kettlebell were hard but better than the first couple of times I did them. I'm going to stay with this set, rep, weight scheme for at least another four days. Total kettlebell time 20:20. Only got 3018 steps yesterday, already have more today.

Another Evening Workout

I just couldn't get moving this morning. I got up at 0615 but just couldn't get into workout mode. I should have put my workout clothes on as soon as I got up but I didn't. Oh well. After dropping Miles off at lacrosse practice I came home, changed and got started training.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 25 lbs.
1 Superset of 9 reps Push-ups & Australian Pull-ups

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 10 x 10 x 35 lbs  L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35 lbs per side

Same performance prep but today I added in the superset of push-ups and Australian push-ups. Each time I do them I get one more rep! That's pretty nice progress. Nice and warm when I was done. Total prep time 21:25.

No change up on the kettlebell work. Well, actually I went back to the 45 second rest period between sets of swings whereas I cut that to just 15 seconds yesterday. Everything felt good. My hamstrings and glutes are pretty sore. Total kettlebell time 20:29. Only got 7711 steps yesterday.

Interrupted Evening Kettlebell Practice

I didn't train this morning as I didn't get up early enough. I wanted to make sure I got to work early enough to leave early enough to be home to take my son to lacrosse practice. As it turned out our internet got cut at work so I ended up coming home at midday anyway. So, after I dropped him off at practice I came home and got started training.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 20 lbs.

Simple and Sinister

• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 10 x 10 x 35 lbs L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 5 x 1 x 35 lbs per side

I had gotten about halfway through my performance prep when I got a text message from my son saying practice would end at 1900 instead of 1930. Great. I finished my prep at about 1840. Great again. This took 18:36.

So, I didn't leave to pick him up until 1850. So I decided to start my kettlebell practice with a modification. I decided to cut rest time between sets of swings from 45 to 15 seconds. This is the target for Simple and Sinister but I had not been working that fast. I made it through 8 sets before I had to take some extra rest time. Finished up the last two sets of swings. Ended up doing the swings in about 7 minutes instead of the targeted five. That means I had to stop and go pick up my son before doing get ups.

Got to the school at 1900 and they didn't come up from the field until 1910. Didn't get home until around 1920. Thought about skipping get ups but buckled down. I had cooled down by now, so I put my sweatshirt on to help warm back up. Did my sets of get ups. Felt okay. Finished in about 10.5 minutes. I got in 9627 steps yesterday.

Misty Morning Simple and Sinister

Another cool, misty morning for kettlebell practice. Again, thankfully, the carport was dry. It was not raining while I was training. But it is pouring down now. It was cool, 58F, but by the time I finished I was dripping sweat and my glasses were fogged up!

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 20 lbs.

Simple and Sinister

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 8 x 10 x 35 lbs L, R, L, R, L, R, L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 25 lbs per side
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 35 lbs per side

Completed performance preparation without any added ab or strength work. Felt good and warm enough to take off my sweatshirt again. I may need to start upping the difficulty level of the Original Strength reset.  I'll have to skim through the book (Pressing Reset, Original Strength Reloaded) again to see the progressions. Total prep time 20:21.

On to kettlebells. Same sets, weights and reps as yesterday. I think this third day at this level is enough. I'm going to do all my swings one handed & all sets of get ups w/ 35lb bell tomorrow. All sets and reps felt easy. All the swings were explosive. The get ups were solid. Total kettlebell time 20:36. Yesterday's step total was 10,589.

Check the sweat angel! You think 100 swings and 10 get ups isn't work? Even with a pretty light weight? Think again! I was sweating profusely, even in as noted above, 58F weather.

Cool Misty Kettlebell Practice

Just barely got enough sleep to have kettlbell practice today. It was cool and misty after some heavy rain in the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully the carport was nice and dry. Wasn't much fun crawling in the wet grass but I used to play football in down pours so...And look my dog Shadow decided to watch me train for some reason!

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 20 lbs.
1 Superset of 8 reps Push-ups & Australian Pull-ups

Simple and Sinister

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 8 x 10 x 35 lbs R, L, R, L, R, L, R, L
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 25 lbs per side
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 35 lbs per side

Normal warm up. Took the rolling in the Original Strength reset slow and really stretched my hips and shoulders as part of the roll. Concentrated just a much on opening my hips with the arm bar as keeping my arm vertical. Total warm up time 22:42.

I was quite warm once I was done despite the cool temperature. Divested myself of my sweatshirt. Did the same set/rep/weight scheme as yesterday. Felt pretty good doing it and even better once I was done. The minimal workout is just enough to make for a great day. Total kettlebell time 20:24. Yesterday I got 10,422 steps!

Lack of Sleep Means No Training

It has been hellish at work the last few days, well actually after hours. Paged directly or engaged to help others who were on call. Since I didn't get my goal of 7 hours of sleep I didn't train the last two days. Got plenty of sleep last night so I trained today. Is it possible to train on little sleep, yes, but it's a case of diminishing returns. Afterall, I'm not a Navy Seal candidate at BUD/S Training, I don't have to perform at a high physical level while sleep deprived or in combat conditions.

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/ legs then arms
• Rocking - 20 reps
• Crawling - 3 minutes

Wide Leg Founder 1
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 20 lbs.

6 Minute Abs

1. Myotatic Crunch 1 x 10
2. Cat Vomit Exercise 1 x 10

Simple and Sinister

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 8 x 10 x 35 lbs L, R, L, R, L, R
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 25 lbs per side
• Turkish Get Ups 4 x 1 x 35 lbs per side

Performance prep was as per usual with the exception of adding in the 6 minute abs routine. Nicely warmed up.  Total prep time was 25:20. Took off my sweats and completed my kettlebell training in just a tshirt and shorts.

OK, I let my impatience get the better of me. I intended to replicate the same weight, set and rep pattern as my last session three more times. But I felt so good today, and the last session was so easy I went on increased my sets of one hand swings from 6 to 8. I also increased sets of get ups with the 35 lb bell from 3 to 4. This was still easy. I'll stay here for a couple more workouts and then got to all sets of swings one handed and all sets of get ups at 35 lbs. I'll stick with that for a few sessions then start working in the 20kg (44lb) kettlebell. Total steps yesterday 9622.

Easy Simple and Sinister

I didn't do any training yesterday, not even an Original Strength reset. I got paged at 0430 by work colleagues. There was a problem they couldn't solve and it took us a few hours to get things stable. Then just as I was trying to go back to sleep and get a couple of hours I got paged again. I eventually did get over 7 hours of sleep but I just didn't feel up to training.

Stayed up late last night. Got up around 0730. Messed around until time to leave for 1015 my dental appointment. Once I got home, I bummed around a bit, meditated and then got started with my training.

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
1 Set of 5 reps Kettlebell Halo w/ 25 lbs.

1 Arm Bar per side, 1 minute each w/ 20 lbs.
1 Superset of 7 reps Push-ups & Australian Pull-ups

Simple and Sinister

• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs
• One Hand Kettlebell Swings 6 x 10 x 35 lbs R, L, R, L, R, L
• Two Hand Kettlebell Swings 2 x 10 x 35 lbs
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 25 lbs per side
• Turkish Get Ups 3 x 1 x 35 lbs per side
• Turkish Get Ups 1 x 1 x 25 lbs per side

Nothing special about performance preparation. Finished it up in 21:15. Felt warm and ready to go. Warm enough to take off my sweatshirt after my first set of swings.

The swings feel light. The get ups feel light. It is very hard to be patient. I'm going to stick to my plan and go up slowly. I want to be consistent and not hurt myself or aggravate any old injuries. It was a lovely, sunny 75F yesterday, today it is a gray, cloudy 54F. Not a lot to say. Total kettlebell time 20:23.

I only got in 6412 steps yesterday but got in 10490 the day before!