Cool Shirtless and Barefoot Kettlebell Practice

Working from home again today which let me get my kettlebell practice in around midday. It is unseasonably cool but sunny with a breeze. I almost always train barefoot or in one of my several pairs of Vibram FiveFingers. Today was barefoot. I also found a sunny spot and got shirtless to get a little extra vitamin D.

I was scheduled to do this training session yesterday, but was feeling unusually sluggish and sore still. Mostly my hip from the walk on Sunday. It pays to listen to my body, especially as I get older.

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 8x10x16kg
• Get Ups 8x1x16kg

Cool Down Stretching Super Sets

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

I keep forgetting to do my planks after the kettlebell practice so I moved them to the end of movement prep. I was nice and warm after giant sets of movement prep. What was sore felt better. I was nice and loose. Ready to go. It took 11:48 including planks.

As noted I built more time into the sets of swings and get ups to make this more a practice than test. It was still enough work quickly enough to get my heart rate elevated and a good sweat. Swings felt good and powerful. Get ups were solid. Less pain in my hip. Kettlebell practice took 26:16.

Then the cooldown of S&S recommended stretches. These are the most difficult and obviously most needed part of the routine for me, these and squats. I'll start doing goblet squats soon. Need to work on ankle and hip mobility. Cool down took 8:00. Tomorrow I will do a longish walk.

Slow One Hour Walk

For now I'm practicing Kettlebell Simple and Sinister every other day. So, on the days I'm not practicing kettlebells I am going to take a longish walk. I've not been doing such walks as of late, just lots of short walks every hour from 0700 to 2100.

Today I set out for a 2 mile walk. I thought I would finish in about 40-45 minutes. It took me an hour. My cardiovascular conditioning was not the limiting factor, but rather my hip and back. After about 35-40 minutes of my walk, my speed fell off precipitously as I had to pause often to stretch my hips and back.

I think I'll limit myself to 40 minutes maximum walking time for a while and see how my hip and back do. It was challenging to get home today. It might be better to just go out for 10 minutes and back 10 minutes, twice so I'm not too far from home if my hip and back give me trouble. I'll try that on Tuesday. BTW, I did my walk in a fasted state.

Hotel Parking Lot Simple and Sinister

So, I've had two days off since my Armor Building EMOM. My hip was super sore the next day, Thursday. Yesterday we drove to Richmond, VA for the funeral of my wife's uncle which is today. I brought my 20kg (44lb) kettlebell with me though! So, got up this morning and got my training done.

Went down to the lobby, had a couple of cups of coffee. Then walked around the parking lot a bit and went to my Sequoia. Took out my exercise mat and kettlebell and got down to business! Started with 9 minutes of the yoga flow for kettlebells by Brian Friedman. Then on to the main practice.

Simple and Sinister

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

Felt pretty good. My hip was only bothered me a little bit. Got some good sweat going, got the heart rate up. Swings were solid, did sets of 10 EMOM. Get ups got smoother as the sets progressed, but felt strong for all sets. Didn't rush the get ups and finished S&S in 21:48.  Took a few minutes to do a few stretches: floor scorpion, Bretzel 1 and 2, some shin box switches. I felt really good when I was done, feel even better now after a shower.

Hips Don't Lie

So, I did an abbreviated Simple and Sinister three weeks ago and nada since.  My left hip has been giving my lots of trouble. I finally made an appointment to see an orthopedist on 11/30/2016.

Well, I didn't do any exercise other than walking until Native Americans' Day, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. That day, Friday and today I did an Original Strength reset and a couple of "naked" getups per side.

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

"Naked" Turkish Get Ups 2 per side

I need to remember to re-incorporate the "Wide Leg Founder" into this simple routine. I'm just trying to get a little mobility, stability and flexibility going until I get a good diagnosis and recommendation for the doctor on Wednesday.

Urban League of the Upstate Sorta 5K

My daughter, Gabrielle Baker, was on the organizing committee for the Urban League of the Upstate's first annual Heart and Sole 5K. Our nuclear family all signed up to show our support. In addition my brother-in-law from Aiken and his wife as well as his daughter from Rock Hill came to Greenville to participate. A couple of my wife's friends and one of Gabby's friends joined us for the race as well

I haven't been running so I decided to just walk the 5K. They also had a 1 mile walking route planned, but walking the 5K would be no problem. Unfortunately, the biker leading the the initial group of runners and the volunteers out in the middle of the course went and sent us the wrong way! They accidentally cut off somewhere between 0.6 and 0.7 miles. It was still a fun time. 

Even though I was walking I did exercise my competitive spirit. I started out in the middle of the pack of walkers. I would pick out someone walking ahead of me and set a goal of catching them and passing them without running. I did this time and time again over the course. No walkers behind me passed me. And speaking of competition my oldest son, Isaiah at the back left of the picture, finished third overall! 

It was a nice, partly cloudy and surprisingly cool morning for the race on the beautiful campus of Furman University. We all had a good time and then went for a nice big breakfast at Stax Omega.

Walk for Lunch and Evening FMS Exercises

I took a walk at lunchtime. I covered 1.41 miles in 32:48 for an average speed of just 2.6 mph. Much slower than my 3.1 mph walk on Saturday evening with Laura.

This evening I did my FMS corrective exercises. I got them done in 12:48. Once again I did some extra rolling of my hip flexors after I was done with the FMS prescribed stuff. Nearly at 10K steps at the time of this writing with 9889. I'm sure I'll get the 10K before I go to bed.

Late Evening Walk

The day about got away from me. Looked up and it was 2030 and I hadn't been for a walk yet. Got out and got it done! Laura went with me, too, which is great because her pace is generally faster than mine and it was tonight. We walked 2.01 miles in 38:39 for an average of 3.1 mph.

Once we got home I did the corrective exercises as prescribed after the Functional Movement Screen which I did a few weeks ago. Those took about 20 minutes. Did some extra rolling of my hip flexors and calves when I was done w/ the FMS related exercises. I'm at 11K+ steps for the day.

Too Sore for Kettlebell Training

Yesterday's hike left me too sore today for kettlebell training. My feet and calves are SORE! My back and hip flexors a little less so. I decided to take it easy today.

I did my FMS corrective exercises. Took me about 23 minutes. I also did extra rolling of my calves and hip flexors. I used some PVC pipe (was reminded about using PVC pipe for fascia release by a video about releasing the rectus femoris muscles) I picked up at home depot instead of a traditional foam roller. The foam roller I have isn't really strong enough to support my weight and deforms when I'm really getting into it.

Once I was all warmed up and stretched out I went for a short walk. Just 25 minutes and about 1.1 miles. Legs still sore but they'll be better tomorrow. Glad I got it in.

Raven Cliff Falls Hike

We decided to go on a family hike last week and picked Sunday, yesterday. We drove up to Caesar's Head to hike to Raven Cliff Falls. There are a couple of ways to go. We did the shorter route about 10 years ago when my youngest son was a toddler and I carried him a good portion of the hike in one of those baby carrier backpacks.

Anyway this time decided to go the longer route. The wife and I let the kids (22, 16 and 12) go on ahead at their pace and we went at ours. We just asked them to wait for us at the first forking of the trail so we could really decide which way to go, short or long. They waited, not too long, and we decided to go long.

Well, I thought they were going to wait for us again at the next fork, but they didn't. My wife and I ended up going on the fork the kids had not taken and descended a good ways into the valley to the Suspension Bridge over the falls. It was quite a climb back out for us as we have not been doing any hiking. We eventually got back to together at the fork where we had chosen different paths and then headed back to the car.

Round trip was over 8 miles, nearly 9, and it took us about 4.5 hours. By the way, every site I visit has different mileage numbers for the hike! That 4.5 hours was with stopping to take pictures, stopping for a snack and just looking at the beautiful scenery and wildlife.

I walked 26,987 steps or 10.01 miles yesterday! Walking trails, up and down the sides of mountains, is a lot different than walking in the neighborhood. But I should add that without the walking I've been doing and the kettlebell training I would not have been able to hike 8 or 9 miles! I also wear Vibram Five Fingers almost all of the time including yesterday when I wore my Speed XCs. The muscles in my feet and calves were ACHING today. But it was well worth it.

FMS Exercises Walking Extra Stretching and Mobility Work

What can I say? More of the same old boring stuff. Corrective exercises I got from the Functional Movement Screen - 15 minutes. Then a walk: 51 minutes, 2.41 miles for an average speed of 2.8 mph. After walking I did a little more stretching of my hamstrings and hips. I also worked over my ankles and feet with a lacrosse ball. That's it. Boring and repetitive but effective.

Walking and FMS Corrective Exercises

Not much to report today. I walked at lunch time. I covered 1.68 miles in 43:24 at a paltry 2.3 mph. It was humid, and I didn't want to get super sweaty. I've walked over 10.5K steps today.

This evening I did my the corrective exercises that were assigned to me after my first Functional Movement Screen. Two exercises gave me trouble tonight, pushups and planks with one hand and one foot raised off the floor. I haven't been doing pushups for a couple of months because I've been trying to let my right shoulder settle down. So, where I was easily doing 15-20 pushups before I struggled to get the prescribed 10 reps tonight. As for the variation of plank I mentioned, I just couldn't hold myself stable so I reverted to the first variation I was prescribed a plank on toes and elbows.

Terrible Headache, Nap, Workout

I had a very bad headache today. That is a rare occurrence. Came home early and took a nap. Woke up after a couple hours and felt better. Took my youngest son to lacrosse practice and did my kettlebell practice while he practiced lacrosse.

Warm Up

Walk 10:32, 0.42 miles for an average of 2.4 mph.

Circuit 3 circuits 5 reps each 12:24 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)

Something about training in the part seems to speed me up. It was a nice evening, not too crowded at all. Sunny but with a nice, steady breeze blowing.  I really enjoyed it. The kettlebell swings felt good. I feel stronger and my cardiovascular system seems to be adapting to the 15 reps OTM. Next week I think I'll try Tracy Reifkind's Workout #3 for the swing portion of my routine. It is 20 minutes long and builds up to 20 reps per minute. I'm tempted to buy a heavier bell and switch to it but I don't want to fall back down in reps right now.

The getups feel very good. Form is improving as I concentrate. Again, I feel like I could increase the weight from 25# to at least 30#. Before I jumped up to 35# and my shoulders weren't ready for it. I think maybe I'll wait until I'm good and comfortable w/ Workout 3. Finished up the kettlebell portion in 27:21.

35 Pound Turkish Get Ups

It was unseasonably cool today. I didn't get started on my training until 11:20. But I got it in!

Warm Up Walk 11:34 minutes, 0.56 miles. That's 2.9 mph.

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 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x8,15,8,15,11x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x35# (per side)

I didn't have time for a cool down walk as I had promised to take my younger son, Miles, to the local lacrosse store before my older son's lacrosse game at 2pm. I'm proud of my training today. I'm working on getting solid on Tracy Reifkind's Workout #2. I again waved the reps during the 3rd group of 5 sets and got one more rep on the final set that last time. I should have pushed and gotten 15 on that last set. Maybe next time.

After that I felt strong. The 25# kettlebell had been feeling too light on my get ups, so I decided to go for it with 35#. I did it. It really challenged me. It was a lot hard to keep my shoulders stable, particularly my right one which has been giving me some problems. But I did it! I can really feel it all across my scapular region.

Kettlebell Swings Waving Reps

So, I figured I still wasn't quite ready for Tracy Reifkind's complete Workout #2. I decided to take a bit of her advice and wave up and down on the reps in the last group of 5 sets.

Warm Up walk 12:25 minutes, 0.56 miles. That's 2.7 mph.

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 5x11,12,13,14,15x35# Two Handed
• Kettlebell Swings 5x8,15,8,15,10x35# Two Handed
• Turkish Get Ups 5x1x25# (per side)

Cool down walk 22:03 minutes, 0.87 miles. That was 2.4 mph.

All of the sets of swings were done every minute on the minute. As you can see above I did the normal first five sets at 10 reps each. Then in the second group of 5 sets I added one rep each set. Last time in the final group of 5 sets I only did 10 reps per set, 50 reps. This time I waved the reps 8, 15, 8,15,10 for 56 reps total. Total reps last training session was 165 in 15 minutes, this session 171 reps in 15 minutes. That makes for higher intensity, if only slightly. The goal is to get to 5x15 reps in the last group of 5 sets.

I took about a two minute break and then got on with the get ups.  I finished them in roughly another 10 minutes. That made for a total time of 29 minutes one minute less than last time. Again, more work in less time. Cooled down with another relatively short and slow walk.

Got to Do Better Than Once a Week

A week without training except for mirco-sets of push ups just about every time I returned to my desk from a meeting, the restroom or the like. Today is beautiful weather. After going to my youngest son's first lacrosse game of the day this morning at 1000 we returned home. My priority was to get in some training.

Warm Up

Walking 12:01 minutes, 0.56 miles. Pretty darn slow.

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

Finishing Walk 23:16 minutes, 0.95 miles.

Not much to say. I got after it. The swings were every minute on the minute for 15 minutes. Took about a 2 minute break then completed the getups in about 13 minutes. Total time 30 minutes. Finished up with a short walk. Not to certain of the time and distance as I paused my time for a bit and forgot to turn it back on.

Tried to Move on to Tracy Reifkind Kettlebell Workout Two

I tried to move on to Tracy Reifkind's Kettlebell Workout #2. But I wasn't quite ready. But let me put down the details and then I'll talk about my performance.

Warm Up

Walking 13:31 minutes, 0.55 miles. Pretty darn slow.

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

Finishing Walk 27:40 minutes, 1.25 miles.

OK, so those are the details. I had no idea I was walking so slowly in my warm up. Oh well. I followed that walk with my normal warm up circuit and felt good. The deep squats even felt good during the 2nd and third circuits. The warm up circuit was also slow clocking in at 13::29 minutes.

I started the main part of the session with 5 sets of 10 reps of two handed swings with a 35# kettlebell. That felt easy enough that I decided to progress to TracyRif's workout 2 like I mentioned earlier. That called for adding one rep per set for sets 6-10 and then staying at 15 reps a set for sets 11-15. You can see the progression above. However, I felt too winded and dropped back to 10 reps per set for sets 11-15. Oh, and let me note that the swings are done every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.

By the time I finished that 10th set I was too winded to stay at 15 reps. I heeded Tracy's advice and dropped back down to 10 reps for the remainder of my swing training. I then went on to do my Turkish Get Ups. The 25# bell feels light but my form is not perfect on each rep so I'll stick with it for a few more sessions. Total kettlebell time 30:37 minutes. I finished up with a longer, speedier walk.

First Kettlebell Workout of the Week

Haven't done a kettlebell workout this week until today. I did walk yesterday (26:55 minutes, 0.92 miles) and today (37:02minutes,  1.54 miles). I felt slow, sluggish and stiff during both walks. As I was sitting on the couch this evening, I figured getting in a kettlebell workout might get me energized. I skipped the warmups and got right to work.

The Practice

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

Got it done in 34:38 minutes. Felt good. Trained indoors while the Duke vs NC State game was playing on TV. I don't know if I've mentioned before that the swings are done 10 reps every minute on the minute with the remain time of the minute used to catch my breath.

The getups were kinda different. I was training barefoot on our hardwood floor in the den. It was slippery. I put on a pair of Vibram Five Fingers after the second set. That helped. I feel better now.

Lovely Spring-ish Day for Kettlebell Training

Got back from SaltConf15 yesterday. All the exercise I got yesterday was walking through airports and a couple of microsets (5 reps) of pushups in the airports. Today is a beautiful, sunny 62°F. A wonderful day to do kettlebell training outside.

Warm up walk 12:48 minutes, 0.83 miles.

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

Finished up with a 27:08 minute, 1.09 mile walk. 

I tell you what, it seems like 10 kettlebell swings every minute on the minute for 15 minutes would be easy. But even with a relatively light kettlebell, 35 pounds, it is CRAZY work. By the 12th or 13th set I was really feeling the fatigue, especially in my lower back. Not pain, just the fatigue of worked muscles. But I kept going, kept my reps at 10 and finished the 15 sets. I was thinking about the crazy numbers of swings, for example 500 reps with 88 lbs. in 14 minutes, Bud Jeffries outlines in his book I Will Be Iron. It got me through.

Then I went on to do my Turkish Getups. I think I rested a little more than normal between the swings and the get ups. Nothing very revelatory to say about these except the 25# still feels light. I'll stick with it a few more workouts though to make sure. That's about it, the swings and getups took 32 minutes total. See y'all on the next training day.

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.

What Is Your Excuse

What is your excuse? It's too cold? It's snowing? You can't afford a gym membership? You can't afford fancy equipment? It's dark? It's too late in the day?

Well tonight in Greenville, SC it is 32°F and feels like 25°F. It is snowing.  I don't have a gym membership. I don't have fancy equipment just some kettlebells and a yoga mat. It is dark. I didn't get home from work until 1930 hours or so. But I got my workout in. What's your excuse.

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 knocked it out in about 38 minutes. My workout timer, Noom Coach,  showed 43 minutes but in the midst of my training it froze and my smartphone rebooted. After waiting for it I had to start Noom and start up my music again. All of that was about 5 minutes.

I felt good despite it being cold, I just layered up. I felt good despite snow blowing in my face. I kept my form tight on the swings. I think in the fourth set my mind wandered a bit. I started thinking about work stuff. I let it go and re-focused on my training.

I got a rep on the TGUs that felt the best I had ever done. I think it was in the third set. Then my last rep in the 5th set was one of the worst I had ever done. So it goes. That is what training is all about. 

Oh, I also got in a walk at lunch, 1.51 miles in 32 minutes. That was about 2.8 mph. I would like to get up to a consistent 3 mph.