Kool Kettlebells

2012-01-14T10:42:00.002-06:00

I'm reading Jeff Martone's Kettlebell RX book. I like his tip about when to do joint mobility so you don't wake up in the morning stiff and achy like the Tin Man from the wizard of Oz. I've implemented his advice for the last two days and feel great in the morning and when I sleep.
Get the book to find out this little secret.
-Joe

2011-12-30T11:55:00.002-06:00

I bought a 30 x 50 inch duffel bag yesterday at CC military surplus for hauling my 50 foot ropes to and from class.
Today I trained with my regular sized duffel bag filled with two ropes for my warm up.
Then I went out and got the other bag, filled it with three ropes and carried it back inside the studio. I then put the other two 50 foot ropes into the huge duffel bag with room to spare.
Then I lifted the bag.Just picking it up off the ground is a lot of work. I just picked it up and did some squats holding it for five or six sets of two reps each.
Very good for the grip, hips and core. It's also easy on the hands as far as not hurting the hands like kb's and barbells, pull bars can.
It's a win/win training tool.
Have a Happy new Year,
Joe

2011-12-14T11:17:00.003-06:00

It's been a long while since my last post.
I bought a Jungle Gym XT, on sale, a couple of weeks ago. I've been experimenting with it ever since. I really like it a lot. The exercise I like is the leg curl. It's starting to help ease my lower back aches and pains.
Yesterday I did my " Bull Simple" routine. I started with the 18 pound kb and worked my way up to the 53 pound bell for eight sets. I did round -a - bouts the waist, figure eights then snatches. 15 seconds each way for the first two exercises and snatch 15 seconds with each hand. That's 90 seconds of work before a 30 second break. I always use ladders when I do these because it rocks. I did the 90 second sets with each weight twice. 18, 26, 35 and 53. My shoulders seemed to take the brunt of this workout. Crazy how I didn't even do any pressing and my shoulders are just beat. I had to hit the Indian clubs twice after this workout to help ease the after workout soreness.
Today I did Indian clubs, the Jungle Gym- leg curls, foot supported lunges, one arm row/chin and 90 degree push-ups. More Indian clubs then I took my walking coach and dog Dooley for a 15 minute walk in the misty morning rain. Life is good. Nothing like a walk to lift your spirits.

2011-07-18T06:11:00.003-05:00

1st post in a long, long time.
I watched and read Mc's blog about Ken Froesch (sorry if I misspelled your last name) pressing two Beasts. He set a date and worked at it for one year, That takes dedication. He pressed them twice at the level 2 RKC. Impressive. His reason. Spite. Someone was going on about Z-Health makes you weak. So he proved them wrong. Congratulations Ken.

2011-05-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

Minute of Strength: barbell side/bent press

2010-11-19T20:38:00.000-06:00

2010-10-27T14:27:00.003-05:00

First snowfall this school-year. Just enough snow to mess up the morning commute.
Lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in Minnesota today.
No wonder my lower back went "out" on me Monday night. My training was going so well too.
KB training on hold until my lower back feels better.
I'll continue with daily Z-Health practice though.
Thanks for viewing.
Namaste

Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down

2010-09-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

2010-09-23T16:24:00.002-05:00

Snatch ladders x 3 followed by jump rope. That's it.

2010-09-12T09:34:00.003-05:00

Like I said on my last blog post I got our soccer team into the playoffs Saturday. We played three games on Saturday Patriot Day. We lost the first game with the ten kids that were there. Then we had another game several hours later and only had eight kids to play. We won that game 3-0. Then for our playoff game we won 3-1 with only eight kids playing. Luckily Pierre another Dad with great soccer experience helped me coach the team and told the kids what to do. I knew we would make the playoffs.

2010-09-09T17:18:00.003-05:00

There's my song now, "The safety dance". Never under any circumstances try to juggle a kettlebell while that song is on the radio. Drop the bell, take a break until the song is over.
First week of school is being survived. Work is the curse of the drinking man and the VikeQueens open their season tonight.
Training- short 10 minute fairly light bouts of snatches and jump rope Tuesday, H2H outside the leg swing to catch in opposite hand hot potato position, flips and over the shoulder catch. That was fun. Almost like learning to fly. Today KB deadlifts and Gada stick twirls. Worked up to four reps with two Beasties and the 13 # Gada with a hand towel rapped around the handle for a thicker grip challenge. The Gada always gives me a hard time, but I like it. Tomorrow my friend Shelley and I plan on working out together. Then Saturday I'll coach Brock's soccer team into the playoffs.
Later...

2010-08-17T20:22:00.003-05:00

I did a quick power generating workout today. Double KB cleans/ double med ball slams superset. I love the supersets. Sets of three cleans working uo to 2/32's. Med ball- two 6# balls x 5 or 6 reps. Five sets of each. That's it, just a slight tune-up. That's all I really ever do now is tune-up workouts. I did test both exercises with shoulder ROM and trunk ext/ toe touches and both exercises made me move better.

2010-08-14T07:25:00.003-05:00

Friday August 13th 210- Didn't train with my friend Shelley. She did tell me an interesting bit of "news'. A former pain in the ASS group KB "person" who A. screwed me out of class money, B. drove away another Great class member, C. Tried to take another class member with her to another KB trainer. Now has Three Blown Discs in her back from said other KB trainer. Good for her!
What goes around, comes around.
Now she Can't do anything physical. Good for her. I can't feel bad for her.
Our family/ neighbors June and Steve invited us for dinner. June said she hurt her right leg hamstring. She saw the Doc and he manipulated it (more pain) and told her to take advil 3 x's a day. I did some testing and came to the conclusion that her Hubby Steve should rub all around her opposite elbow 3x per day. That's what made it feel better and test better on the hamstring strength test.
I did not hurt her or give her any drugs to help fix her. Her body will fix itself.
Later...

2010-08-11T16:11:00.003-05:00

Double cleans- 12k, 16k, 24k, 32k x 3. Double med ball slams- 6# x 20, 3# x 20. Both exercises tested well and work well together...

2010-08-08T10:25:00.003-05:00

My friend Shelley and I worked on our callouses Friday night. It was humid outside and I wanted to show her some H2H moves with one KB. Well after our regular swings and H2H, our callouses were getting painful. From now on we'll be doing double KB drills for more fast twitch power and less callous production and more satisfaction.

2010-08-03T13:56:00.003-05:00

Double Tgu anyhow's- 0 x 1/1, 16k x 1/1, 24k x 1/1/. These felt Really good after practicing in slow motion with no weight.
Break for ten minutes to fix a rope for swinging a kettlebell around.
Double horizontal flips- These are much harder than vertical flips. 12k, 16k, 24k, 16k, 24k. I found I have to look at the left hand kettlebell so I don't drop it. The right side takes care of itself.
It's was about 90 degrees out and High humidity too. I'm still sweating after being in the house for a half hour.
Now I must go search for a Thirst quenching beverage... Too early for Beer.

2010-07-23T02:22:00.002-05:00

Advocare- Not a Fan of Pyramid schemes.

I taught my friend Shelley how to spiral a football last night As Part Of Our training regime. A baby Boomer "taught by the Best" but I taught her and She did it.
That's what I did.

2010-07-20T17:54:00.003-05:00

Double H2H outside the leg swings, cleans and snatches.
Inside the legs swings, alternate vertical flips, double flips.
18's, 12k's, 16k's, 24k's.
15 minutes...

2010-07-14T06:02:00.004-05:00

I watched Valery Federenko press video twice on Sunday. He pressed a 97 Pound kettlebell 21 times with each arm!!! He didn't do that Hard Style. lol
Monday I tried to do like he instructs and "explode" with the "whole body" to press and man it's hard to rewire yourself but it does have it benefits. When I went in the pool with my boys later we were wrestling and I was throwing them both around like rag dolls. That means what I trained transferred and "stuck" with me.
Excellent.

2010-07-11T10:11:00.003-05:00

I did two hand KB dead lifts, Gada stick swings for a superset. Hindu squats, the pump and hindu push-ups alternated. Bosu Burpees. Hanging leg raises. Done as a circuit with short breaks between exercises.

2010-07-10T09:40:00.003-05:00

Friday nights workout- Indian clubs,TGU's, Torso rope, chins. That was the warm-up.
Main workout: swing ladders, 2 bells- 15/15 w/r. Also did figure eights, h2h deadlifts -these bothered my back - will stick to single arm dead lifts, golf swings. Cool down. About one hour of training with my workout buddy Shelley. It's a way for both of us to get our cardio done.

2010-07-08T05:58:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I did double TGU's anyhow. That means I did my version of the double TGU with a press at the top, bring the other arm down, reverse TGU etc...
After that 100 swings. Ladders with the 16k, 24k and 32k. One hand and H2H.
My lats are getting extremely sore lately. Must be that they're firing on all cylinders now with the help of Z-Health training.
Here's a new saying, borrowed from something Ted Nugent says.
When in doubt, swing it out.

2010-07-06T18:34:00.003-05:00

I threw some chins back into the rotation. Three light sets. Two of the sets were assisted by the green then blue band. Swings with a thick rope x 30, torso rope 5/5, H2H swings x 30, torso rope, swings left x 20, rest 10 sec. swings right x 20 = 100 reps.
Chins are one of the best exercises for grip, upper body and the torso muscles.
When in doubt, swings rule.

Program Minimum-H2O

2010-07-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

2010-07-03T10:46:00.004-05:00

I did a 27 minute Quigong recharge this morning. A little while ago I did some one arm KB dead lifts, indian clubs, then Gada stick followed by the Torso Rope, Get a six foot 1 to 2 inch rope, insert a Very light kettlebell onto the rope. Swing the rope around your body 5 times one way then 5 times the other way. Marvel at how you've Never felt anything like that B4. I learned that from John Brookfield. It hits the Torso muscles, legs, shoulders in a way that's highly Wicked.
That was two exercises: dead lifts and Gada-type movements. Minimal sets.

2010-07-02T17:32:00.003-05:00

Light-Low Volume, Bottoms Up Presses today. 0 x 2- I swear this helps. 12k x 3/3 x 2 sets. 16k x 3/3 x 2 sets. 12k & 16k x 3/3. Yoga for the back after that and I was done. I did test the BUP and tested very well. I threw in some Z hip drills to loosen up the shoulders and the presses just flew up!
Have a great and Safe 4th of July weekend.

2010-06-30T19:43:00.003-05:00

Deep Snatch Practice. I started off with non-weighted snatches. Like air guitar. Just go thru the motion without weight. Kinda cool. Followed by 12k, 16k, 24k for three reps each arm. 32k x 1 rep.
Then I did ladders of 24k and 32k. I crept the reps up to 5 @ 24k and 3@ 32k. I did three or four in 16 minutes. I did Z drills between rounds and kept testing to make sure I was keeping my form correct. I had to remind myself to do the deadlift style with a slight jump from the calves to move the weight overhead with mostly leg power. A jump with the bell landing overhead above the shoulder not in front of the face like we see so many people do.
One exercise, trying for perfect.

2010-06-25T04:08:00.003-05:00

Headache Buster

My wife went home sick from work yesterday with a almost puking headache. She couldn't shake until I got home and applied some Z-Health to her. Her shoulders, neck and head were sore and throbbing with pain. I tried to mobilize her thoracic spine, lower lumbar. That helped a little. Then I had her move her pelvis side to side, front to back, round and round. That really helped. Then we worked the hip circles for the shoulders. That really helped a lot too. She was then able to function enough to get back to her life.
Next up Brock's sit-up test...

2010-06-22T20:04:00.005-05:00

I did the V02max workout today. I hit 6 reps per cycle 6 times and 7 reps per cycle 14 times. That's 134 reps in ten minutes with the 16 kg bell. Full lockout on All reps. I'm not used to snatching that fast. Actively pulling the bell down is something I'm not used to doing. This was my third Tuesday in a row. That's pretty good for my attention span. Lol. I did have to use wrist banger sweat bands and a couple of cut off socks for the hands. Those really helped. There's a whole lotta friction going on snatching that fast and faster.
Later...

2010-06-21T21:13:00.003-05:00

Snatches should end above the shoulder, not in a front raise position.
I did TGU's today. First set with no weight as a warm-up. Second set with 53 pounds. Third set with the 70. Done. I work too hard at work so I don't need to spend a lot of time working out.
Here's a Slogan: Swing Fast, Swing Hard.

2010-06-18T21:21:00.003-05:00

Tonight's training involved: Indian clubs- warm up. TGU's - warm-up. Gobble, gobblet squats- warm- up.
Cardio: mainly swings 15/15 work to rest for twenty minutes. We did add round-a-bouts, figure eights, cleans, clean & press, golf swings, rows and more squats. Rest for a minute then med ball slams for five minutes 15/15 Work/rest. Z and Yoga poses for the cool down. I had my VFF's on the whole time. Feet are feeling good.
To morrow is the Cottage Grove Strawberry fest, I have a booth and will be converting people to Kettlebells and Z thru My Great Skills.

2010-06-13T17:41:00.003-05:00

Friday night M friend Shelley and I did twenty minutes of swings (all varieties) and figure eights every once in awhile. We used the 15 seconds Work/ 15 seconds Rest protocol. Then we rested for a minute then threw the med balls at the floor for five minutes using the same protocol. Fun.

2010-06-09T16:40:00.003-05:00

I had a Great Time in Phoenix this past weekend for Z-health S-Phase training. It's all coming together. The weather was Hot. 107 on Sat. and 110 Sun. It Feels better than a humid Minnesota 74 degrees.
Today's phrase: Redundant Stupidity. That's when the the Boss tells you to do something just to do something wasting Your time and really making No progress towards anything.
I did an Easy V02max workout yesterday for 5 minutes. Just a break in session. I've found that it's best to sneak up on your goals like stalking a deer. Don't go full bore at, sneak and peek then before you know it Wham! You 've bagged it.
Taking it easy this week for training.
Later...

2010-06-01T06:01:00.002-05:00

What a Glorious Weekend. Sun, pool and my family.
I'll leave for AZ tomorrow afternoon for S-Phase. I know it will be Great!

2010-05-29T10:33:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I performed my version of the TGU AnyHow. Use two KB's of the same size. Start out like normal. When you get to the lunge position deadlift the other kettlebell. Stand up. Get your legs into position for a clean. Clean the deadlifted KB. Press the dealifted KB. Bring the other KB to shoulder and unclean it to deadlift position. Go to the ground. Repeat the above sequence on this side.
I tested before and after every set of these and got better and got better and better movement. All this was done for three sets in about eight minutes.
The TgU AnyHow works the upper body very thoroughly. Today I'll have to hit the legs with swings.
Bill Pearl has said "Make your training easier". That's from a guy who starts training before the Sun comes up for two hours six days per week.

2010-05-26T06:02:00.003-05:00

First a joke or two.
The Geoff Neupert 30 minute workout: 10 minutes of joint mobility. 10 minutes of weightlifting and then a 10 minute Ambulance ride to the Hospital. Done.
Pilates: Better known as the "Crappie Flop" up here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Yesteday's training was divided into two 10 minute segments. The first was a warm up of KB deadlifts and the Gada Stick. That was followed by one hand swings with the 70 pound bell. 30, 30, 30 and 10 reps for the sets. That equals 100 reps.
The next training session was double get-ups my version. 18+26lb, 26+35lb and 35+ 53lb x 1/1. Done. I did test everything and the get ups were the best, of course.
More to come next time...

2010-05-23T08:42:00.003-05:00

Friday I got an adjustment from my chiropractor Dr. John Hilpisch in Lake Elmo, MN. I trained my wife and Shelly Friday night for an hour.
Saturday I used the 12 and 16kg bells. I really wanted to work the bottoms up presses and John Brookfield's tower of Terror.
Today my grip is fried along with the backs of my shoulders. I'll hit the belt swings later on today with just the 32kbell for two to three minute sets.

2010-05-20T16:22:00.002-05:00

Thick bar Break aways ( just lifting bar off rack or floor. 135# low rack position, off the floor straddling bar, off the floor to just above knee height. 5, 2 and three reps. I hit up the indian clubs as soon as I'm done here.
I'll be Back...

2010-05-20T06:10:00.003-05:00

Internet Explorer: If it's not good enough for the German Government, then we don't need it either!
That's my new Mantra.
Our computer guy Joe www.big-dog-solutions told me the German Gov't warned against using internet exploder for the simple fact that it lets too many viruses and crap onto your computer.
Later...

2010-05-13T06:08:00.004-05:00

Today I played with the sandbags. I was SO BORED at work I think my eyes crossed and recrossed. There's only so much a guy can take.
Sandbags 40, 80 and 100 pounds. Deadlifts then pressed each bag with two hands. 10 minutes.

2010-05-12T06:04:00.002-05:00

I did two sets of belt swings with the Beast last night. One minute each x 32 reps. I also did side presses for three sets. No time for anything else.

2010-05-09T09:05:00.004-05:00

Happy Mothers Day!
We went up to visit the in-laws up in Princeton yesterday. They had snow on the ground earlier in the day. Today we had frost. I brought the indian clubs with and did about 15 minutes of them after our second dinner when the sun came out. Those things really are amazing in the hands of a trained professional.

2010-05-07T20:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was sandbagging it. 40# and 100# bag. With the 100# bag I did squats with it on one shoulder and get ups from a sitting position. I'm starting to get into it now. My son Brock even got into picking up the 40# sandbag.
Tonight I trained with my friend Shelley. We did indian clubs and kettlebells. TgU's, swings ,open palm squats, med ball windmills, slams and more TgU's. She even tried hanging from the pull-up bar. I really like training with a partner but not many can hang.
Looking forward to Phoenix next month. It was 47 here and 96 there yesterday. I hope I don't melt...

2010-05-04T21:04:00.003-05:00

The 5000 year old workout...
Indian clubs for the warm up followed by various medicine ball throws to and fro around the yard with my oldest boy Alex for 15 minutes.
I really didn't feel like weights today. It was far wiser to recover and hit the fast-twitch muscle fibers with the med ball. I hope my neighbors enjoy the show.lol!
Med balls are better than Steroids.

2010-05-02T13:08:00.003-05:00

I heard about the Titan challenge while cruising around on Dragon Door.
75% of bodyweight TGU and 75% of bodyweight Swing.
Done it.
So today I got the rust off my version of the double kettlebell TGU. I worked uo to a 24k in the upper hand and a 32k in the lower hand. 56k total or 123lbs. US.
Swings I just tried some with two bells in one hand 16k and 24k. That kind of sucks and went to double swings instead.
With two different sized bells of course.
Worked up to two sets with a 32 and 24k bell x 10 reps.
I did some no-load bear crawls and open palm front squats with 2- 16k bells as my last exercise.
Four weeks until S-phase.
Later...

2010-05-01T11:14:00.003-05:00

Shot some video footage of all my primary and supplemental Kettlebell Cardio Express exercises. That Android phone is Sweet!
Then I went onto belt swings 30seconds of 53#, 106# and 106=53# bells.
After that was sandbags. 40, 80 and 100# bags for various lifts and a few side presses. Clubs and hackey sack with Brock completed the training for today.

2010-04-30T06:08:00.002-05:00

I'm implementing more sandbag work into my training. Although I don't love it I'm embracing it because of the crazy, shifting grooveless lifting it provides.
I got the idea from Steve Maxwell's blog from a while back. He said two high ranking KB men couldn't shoulder one of his heavy sandbags. One of them could deadlift 600 pounds.
Sandbags are plain old hard work. Just what I like.
Later...

2010-02-03T16:12:00.003-06:00

This is what I did today with my trusty 24 kilo kettlebell.
Snatches for six minutes straight. One minute per hand. Ten Reps Per Minute, RPM's.
Total: 60 reps. I just worked on holding the bell overhead and relaxing as much as possible.
This was a 50% pace of the goal of a magical 20 Reps Per Minute, RPM's.
I like to mix up the method of doing the same Exercise everytime I train GTG style. Same but different as Pavel would say.
It's Miller Time! Yah!

2010-01-30T08:40:00.003-06:00

Eleven o' clock Shadow

Alot of people are recording their manly attempts at the five minute RKC snatch test and ten minute S.S.S.T. snatch test lately. More power to them. But in the quest to hit the magic numbers that "will make you a man" the lockout position has slowly crept forward from high noon to 11 o' clock. A few degrees of seperation if you will. 80 to 85 degrees on the compass as opposed to the strict 90 degrees that is straight up and down vertical. The underside of the snatch arm never see's daylight at 80 degrees. It's easier fo sure but not right. It can be locked out alright but not vertical. It's not cheating per se' or is it? I say to all who post their videos, a snatch only counts if it's locked out, with your arm next to your head. If you can Barely see your locked out arm out of the corner of your eye, it is right. If you can see it plain as day, it doesn't count.

That being said, I'm working towards snatching for ten solid minutes without setting the kettlebell down. I'm using the SAID principle to achieve this lofty goal. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.

I've tried Kenneth Jays protocols 36/36 and 15/15 but I personally think it's a pain in the rear to set down and pick up the kettlebell a million times. The last time I did it, my forearms were killing me. If I was to ignore the pain and forge ahead, I'm sure injury would ensue.

So I do like the Girevoy Sport competitors and do timed sets. I started with forty reps in a minute and a half. Twenty reps each hand with one hand switch. I'm slowly progressing up from there.

My current protocol is to do ten reps every thirty seconds. That's a pace that has wiggle room. I can rest in the lockout before changing hands or catch my breath before continuing to snatch.

I do more than is comfortable but always leave room for improvement and Gas in the tank. This isn't HIT. This is conditioning. The most overlooked aspect of training IMHO. To get through it, one must look upon the time under the bell as meditation. Also stand outside yourself and refine your technique and breathing pattern. I'm using the "two breathes" at the bottom of the snatch rep. My back doesn't mind this and it works well because your using momentum to help you breathe. At the top of the rep you breathe in while your chest is Open. That makes commensense. Why try to breathe when your diaphram is being squished?

I must go and prepare for my training today. I'm shooting for 100 reps in five minutes or so without setting the bell down.

2010-01-10T09:41:00.003-06:00

I was rereading ETK and then my most recent (April2009) RKC manual. That's alot of information to digest. Then I stumbled upon Dan John's sample "repeatable" workout. It's meant to be used Everyday. It's meant to be used Everyday. I thought I'd repeat that because that's it's most important point. Just think how good you are at brushing your teeth (well, some of you are)lol. You do it everyday. It's automatic. Same with Dan John's sample "repeatable" workout. Use it everyday.
To find out what it is, you'll have to pay me Big Bucks and schedule a training session. Just email me Joe@pavelfitness.com or call 651-246-7180. It's so simple and effective I can't believe I didn't think of it.
Thanks Dan,
Joe

2010-01-08T06:08:00.003-06:00

My son AJ and I trained together yesterday. We only had 20 minutes so we worked at a fast pace. We jumped onto the wrestling mats, did presses, swings, cleans and bridges. I bridged onto my head, him on his upper back. Then I had to go pick up BO and snowblow the driveways. I stayed nice and warm from raising more core temp from the workout. We trained for fun.

2010-01-03T08:58:00.003-06:00

I read a Great article by Bud Jeffries about how he's lost 100 pounds and taken his conditioning to SuperHuman levels.
Here's just some of his stats: 53# bell x 3000 reps in 1:39. 106# bell x 1000 reps in 45 minutes. Yesterday I did some warm up deadlifts and swings working from 53 pounds up to the 106 pound bell. Then I dropped back and did a short ladder of swings with the 53 and 70 pound bells. 10 right + 10 left in about 33 seconds. Rested 27 seconds. I only did 120 reps like this. Then I did round-a-bouts; figure eights and figure eights to a hold and alternating deadlifts. All this for 30 seconds on/ off. 53 and then the 70 pound bell.
Iwas sweating like mad even thought the garage was around 30 degees. It took around 25 minutes to complete this.
The swing is the best KB exercise bar none, but I like to add the circular movements and when it's not -14 below zero outside I like the H2H stuff Jeff Martone has taught me.
The reason is because it's cool, I'm good at it and I can't stomach doing just swings. That would be like running on the treadmill day after endless day. So I must keep it interesting and productive.
Make your training time count.

2009-12-29T12:12:00.004-06:00

My goals
1. Snatch a 24k bell for a full ten minutes without setting the bell down.
2. Stay injury free and get better shoulder Range-Of-Motion, strentgh and stability by using indian clubs of a half pound to 15 pounds.

So here's what I did today...
Indian club warm-ups 2# clubs for a couple minutes.
Snatch warm-up with 16k bell x 6 each side.
24k x 10 reps x 1:15 min/sec. R/L = 2:30 min/sec.
Oven mitt swings with 32k x 17 reps x 30 sec. L/R.
Round-a-bouts x 32k x 10 x 30 sec. R/L.
Figure eigths 32k x 30 sec each way.
Figure eight to a hold x 30 seconds.
2# indian clubs again for a cool down.

Completed in 19 minutes and 11 seconds.

2009-12-05T10:53:00.003-06:00

I'm now holding steady at 215 pounds. That would be 20 pounds over my top "BMI" weight. Technically "overweight". But you tell me, who do the girls at the beach look at. Me or the pencil neck "Dr. " that told me three years ago to "cut out the desserts"?
Been keeping training real simple. Top and bottom partial range, thick bar deadlifts. Double and single arm KB presses. The DL's help me activate the lats for pressing. No ballistics or ropes for now. Always doing Z drills throughout the day.

2009-11-25T20:19:00.001-06:00

Thick bar health lifts. 405 x 3 x 2 sets. That was after KB class tonight.

2009-11-07T19:33:00.003-06:00

I've been doing some form of halo's and open palm TGU every morning since Tuesday the 3rd of November. I've also been doing nerve glides before that as my mobility training. I've been feeling really good all day and can say that this regime does help overall well-being.
We adopted a puggle (dog) from a friend today named Miley and boy does she have some wicked gas! We'll be changing her food, gradually starting tomorrow for sure. She's full of personality and needed a home with more time for being out of her kennel and a yard. Should be fun to have her around.

2009-10-17T09:31:00.003-05:00

O.K. so I lied. I did workout yesterday. I did some lazy warm ups like bridging on the Bosu ball, downward and upward dogs, held the low position of a hindu squat. That was after letting my back rest for about 10 minutes laying on the bed talking to my wife on the phone doing Z drills too.
I did 408 one handed swings in 23:30 minutes with a 53# kettlebell. I worked it 30/30 work to rest ratio starting with the left hand for one cycle then the right for the next cycle. I didn't break a sweat until the last set. I met my goal of 400 reps. I will try more next time.

2009-10-15T18:48:00.003-05:00

I heard that Barack Obama just won the Heisman trophy! He won it for watching a football game. OH!
R-Phase last month:
Jim asks Dr. Cobb "What do you do when you can't get your hand around the shoulder of your client"?
Dr. Cobb: Have him stop working out!
His client would be me.
Since that time that's been in the back of my mind. At work I work out for eight hours a day pretty much. Lifting, pushing, pulling walking while pushing and pulling weight. So when I get home I'm need to stretch out and relax. What better way to do that then Yoga.
Now I'm going to a different Chiropractor My body is trying to adjust itself also. So hitting the bells is not a great idea right now. So Yoga, Qigong and of course Z is the ticket.
Here's my new line: I'm not working out, I'm just doing Yoga".
No workouts, just Yoga. That way I can devote more time to my Artwork.

2009-10-11T08:15:00.003-05:00

WTF! Obama was "awarded" the Noble Peace Prize. With that nomination the Noble Peace Prize is about as prestigous as getting "Employee of the Month". What a crock. He has accomplished NOTHING!!!
End of post.

2009-10-04T17:41:00.003-05:00

I performed 300 swings with a 53# KB in 16:42 seconds this afternoon. I think that's a first for me. I was reading Bud Jeffries swing exploits and was inspired. That guy can do some serious swinging. He did 1000 with the Beast. He goes heavy one day then lighter the next. I like that way of doing things too. Except I like to do ladders on the heavy day. Work up to a heavy bell then start again with a lighter weight and go back up. It makes the lighter weight feel really light and helps get more reps with the heavier bells. I do the hand to hand swings on heavy days and single arm swings on the highter reps days. The two handed swing is not good for me done for high reps and sets. My hands are to big to fit into the handle and I have to collapse the upper body somewhat. Not very wise to make the body fit to the kettlebell. I make the kettlebell fit to me.
Swings are the focus of my training now. I do minor mobility work before and after the swings to get the muscles "activated".
Later...

2009-09-21T13:49:00.003-05:00

Had a great Z weekend. Attended second half of the R-Phase at the convention center in Minneapolis. GTG'd lunch at Brit's Pub with a cheeseburger, fries and 1.5 Arnie Plamer's. The ladies shared in my fries so the calories from them didn't count for them. I'm glad I went to review again, well worth the time.
Today I hit the double get ups and double bottoms up snatch, swings. Started with 18#'s and went up to the 53's with my glasses off. Old school get ups. I did some lay down get ups without weight b4 that. Also did sit and stand with 40# and 80# sandbags on one shoulder. Did some Z between sets to loosen up my right hip. Felt great when I was done.

2009-09-17T17:00:00.004-05:00

Here's what I did today after work...
Wall squats were my test exercise. I did a Z move then did three wall squats. I did this for roughly seven minutes before KB lifting.
Then I did the following. One hand swings- high pulls- snatches. Five each hand then switch for 30 continuous reps. I used the 26#, 35# and 53# in that order. When I got to the 72# bell I did the Sn, HP then the Swing because I wanted to do the hardest exercise first. Kind of like descending sets but with the same weight.
I also worked on whipping the weightless arm up and back on all the reps and having it follow the same path as the arm holding the KB. That was a tip from fellow RKC Boris Bachman. It worked like a Charm. Less effort to drive the bell. Much safer and it felt alot stronger too.
Now to test it on my loyal subjects at my next class... BooHaa Haa Haa...

2009-09-13T07:33:00.003-05:00

Took the boys, dog, #26 kettlebell, chalk and a 2 foot 1.5" rope to the playground yesterday morning. The kettlebell makes a great weight to tie the dog to while doing pistols, chins and push-ups. Then I had a snap-link to secure the furry beast while I did some H2H. I went for a barefoot walk after the chins and after the H2H to get it integrated into the muscle hardware. Then we went swimming at a friends pool in the afternoon. I did a few powerbombs off the diving board, nothing major, didn't want to make all the princesses mad at me. lol.

2009-08-25T17:02:00.003-05:00

Hit the ropes and med ball slams for 13:30 minutes quick like after work. Not much time before I had to get to my other priorities. 30/30 work to rest. More ropes than med ball.

2009-08-20T17:38:00.002-05:00

Thick bar DL's. 0 x 3; 135 x 2 + 1 clean; 225 x 2 fast reps.
Beast's: DL x 1; In SAID position with bells outside the legs 2 x 2 x 2 done fast.
Push-ups 2-3 at a time, Z drills before, during and after.
Primo workout.

2009-08-19T17:14:00.003-05:00

Brett Favre signed for the Vikings yesterday.
A tornado passed over the park where my boys were at this afternoon. I went and picked them up right after work. They were in the car within 10 seconds. That was too close for comfort.
Training: Z drills before and after.
Thick bar DL. 0 x 3, 135 x 3, 225 x 3.
Beast training: One x DL, clean. Two x DL. Two x outside legs mini- swings x 5. My legs are really in the way for this but I'll adapt. The big thing is to feel the bells for prorioception. It's better than hundreds of swings and snatches.
Later...

2009-08-16T07:24:00.003-05:00

Watching someone perform any snatch test on youtube is like watching paint dry. BORING...
It may be required to pass the RKC but it sure is unispiring to watch.
H2H, by Jeff Martone is so cool. That's what got me into the whole kettlebell thing in the first place. I don't have to pass the snatch test for two years so I'm just going to juggle heavy bell(s) for awhile, do the ropes for cardio and lift a keg, sandbag and whip the Gada sticks around. KILHA principle from Jeff Martone. Keep It Light And Happy.
I broke my wife's scissor last night trying to cut a penny in half for the the boys. I owe her a new scissors now.
Later...

2009-08-11T06:06:00.003-05:00

I taught my elite class how to do pistols last night. One of my students, a stay at home Mom, actually performed a couple of legit pistols! I knew she could pull it off. Another of my students did a picture perfect descent. That was their homework for this week. To work on their pistols. Two legs down, one leg up.
My own training yesterday was: ropes- double ends x one minute on, 30 seconds off for 5:30. Then I packed up and went inside and did bottoms up TGU's. 12k x 2 x 1. 16 x 2 x 1 set. I felt great after that. Perfect exercises for me.

2009-07-29T17:18:00.003-05:00

Back to training related posts.
40# sandbag clean and press x 10. 100# heavy bag x 2 sets of 2. 176# keg x 6 singles. I did four last week for the first time. They were easier this week. 13 minutes.
Kettlebell juggling was next.
"Rocket launches" 53 to 106 # bell. These are swings and then throw as high and spin the handle as fast as possible trying to get 2 to 3 spins before it hits the ground. Then I attached a green band to the 106 and did swings like that. Swings and a flip x 10, these were lighter because swinging with the green band seemed heavier. I also did the hand band extensions between most sets to give the weaker extensors some work and it helps relax the gripping muscles or the next set of swing or whatever.
John Brookfield holds the record for the SSST with 302 reps! That is CRAZY strength endurance and speed. He did it by mainly juggling HEAVY kettlebells. The first time he tried it he got 240 some reps and said it was easy!
Good day.

2009-07-17T16:54:00.003-05:00

Read this and think about the CAP and TRADE legislation they are trying to pass to make companies pay for carbon credits. It is all bunk and will cost us a ton of money in taxes and increased product cost while "wall street" will get richer handling all the transactions. Obama, pelosi and reid need to kiss our bottoms and get their greedy butts out of our wallets and our goverment!!! By the way, the sane have been saying this for years!!!!

Meteorologist says man not cause of climate issueHUDSON, Wis.—Dave Dahl, chief meteorologist at KSTP in the Twin Cities, told Hudson Rotarians that man is not the culprit when it comes to global warming, or climate change, issues.

Dave Dahl, chief meteorologist at KSTP in the Twin Cities, told Hudson Rotarians that man is not the culprit when it comes to global warming, or climate change, issues.

Dahl spoke to the Hudson Thursday Noon Rotary Club on July 9 and said what was called “global warming” is now tabbed “climate change” because temperatures on the planet have decreased in the past couple years.

“Over 30,000 scientists are now saying that humans are not causing changes in global conditions,” Dahl said. “The climate has ‘changed’ since the planet began.”
He said that the heating of the earth — which is mostly a good thing — is caused primarily by water vapor — about 98 percent. He said carbon and other elements account for about 2 percent of the mix. Of that 2 percent, human involvement represents only about 2 percent of that (.0004 percent).

“It is my feeling, and the opinion of more and more scientists, that the sun is the driving force behind climate changes — heating and cooling,” Dahl said. “Solar activity, including flares and sunspots, is usually quite active during warm stretches. The activity has been very quiet the past couple of years and the temperatures have dropped.”
He said last year’s solar activity was the quietest in 100 years. So far in 2009, the activity is even less.

“In the northern hemisphere, the 2007-08 winter was the coldest in 50 years and 2008-09 was the coldest in a century,” Dahl said.

Another flaw in the entire system is the recording of temperatures around the world, he said.

“The United States has the most reputable system, but the recording system in nearly nine out of 10 locations does not meet National Weather Service standards. Many of the sites are located on tar roofs, next to air conditioner exhaust fans, etc. The records are questionable.”
He said we should be using only satellite information, which shows that temperatures have been cooling for several years.

“Even believers of man-made ‘global warming’ have begun to realize that we do not face global warming — that’s why the terminology has been changed to ‘climate change,’” Dahl said.
Another key factor in the study of earth temperature is the sequence of events.

“People who believe in man-made global warming claim that an increase in carbon dioxide leads to global warming,” Dahl said. “Concrete scientific evidence shows throughout history that temperatures increase first, then carbon levels increase (carbon comes from many sources in addition to man-made pollution). That’s contrary to the claims made in the Al Gore movie (‘Inconvenient Truth’).”

Dahl claims that the Gore movie contains at least 50 factual errors — he called them absolutely false.

Dahl said that carbon spewed from one of the many volcanoes around the world adds much, much more carbon to the atmosphere than all the cars combined.

“I’m all for limiting pollution, but carbon is not necessarily a pollutant – plants would prefer more carbon,” Dahl said.

He noted that there has been much publicity about the shrinking of the polar ice cap.

“Evidence shows that the cap was much smaller in the 1930s when we went through a warm period,” Dahl said. “Siberian ice has grown 20 percent in the past two years.”
Dahl noted that throughout history there is evidence of warm and cold periods.

“It’s a recurring pattern and the sun in the key ingredient,” Dahl said. “The fact is, we could very well be headed for a cool period. Some scientists believe we are headed into a 20-30-year cooling trend based on historical patterns.”

He said it is unfortunate that the science of climate has been mixed in with political policy and political agendas.

“Many scientists are afraid to speak out because much of the funding comes from the government and they are afraid they will lose funding,” Dahl said.

“The political landscape endorses only one view — that humans are causing global warming. The policy-makers and media drive what people hear. People like to think that we can control our destiny — this is one thing we can’t control. People don’t like to hear that.”Dahl hopes that what he considers to be the truth will become evident in the next five to 10 years

2009-07-04T10:06:00.003-05:00

Started doing Qigong forms last week. It really doesn't take much for me to feel the difference in my attitude. Too much BS going on at work.
Anyway going to hit the ropes and Gada sticks in a little while for some REAL cardio. Maybe I'll take the gada from HELL out. I did do the Z neural warm-up #2 this morning and feel really good...

2009-06-20T14:57:00.004-05:00

Last night after a 42.5 hour work week, I took four kettlebells out into the backyard. 16, 24, 32 and 40k. Set the Gym Boss for five minutes on, one minute off. Did various H2H drills and various forms of push up drills thoughout three five minute rounds. Took my pulse after the second round and it was 163 BPM. That's 92% of my max heart rate! I think I was doing two hand stomp flips with the 70 pound bell at the time. These were flips with a stomp. In other words I was using the powerful calf muscles to get a little air under my feet to launch the kettlebell higher than my head when I reached up and grabbed it for the next rep. I was even shocked at how high it was going and had to back it off a wee bit for fear of losing the bell to a one and a half flip, with no hope of catching.
Jeff Martone trained me well and I thank him for his inspiration as a cool dude and as a kettlebell juggler. For me, nothing compares to the thrill, conditioning and creativity of juggling kettlebells. I'll have to make a video of the High Beast Flip.

2009-06-01T20:43:00.003-05:00

"There are no victims, only volunteers." Author unknown. No training today. Although I've thought up a few crazy bent press ideas. More to come...

2009-05-30T15:21:00.003-05:00

I bought a heart rate monitor today to test my various training methods. I did the double swings, snatches, cleans and presses, front squats and TGU's, fast.
Then I did 13 minutes on the ropes 30/30 protocol.
Warm ups/ cooldowns were Z-NWU, clubs and gada stick.
Heart rate got up to 148 bpm after the fast five TGU's. After the ropes it was 158 bpm, I really had to push it to get it that high. That's 90% of my max.

2009-05-28T17:31:00.003-05:00

30/30 protocol- work / rest ratio. Simply swings today. Two hands, Darcs, one hand.
After swings I did overhead walks three times on each arm.
Warm- up and cool down was squats and push-ups.

2009-05-26T19:05:00.001-05:00

2009-05-26T18:52:00.003-05:00

Battling Ropes meets double outside the legs swings meets combat conditioning.

30/30 protocol work to rest ratio.

Big circuit of waving the ropes, double swings wit the 16 k's, hindu push -ups, hindu squats. One of these exercises for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest, then onto the next exercise.

Now that's cardio I can do. I just have a hard time doing one thing only like swings so I what I consider "cardio" exercises and hook 'em together in a circuit. The best of both three worlds. Ropes, kettlebells and bodyweight exercises.

I did 2 minutes of snatches with the 16k from minutes 18 to 20 switching hands every 30 seconds. That was pretty easy.

Then after a minute of rest I did overhead walks 30/30 for two cycles with each hand for the shoulder girdle. Also did 7 bench pistols left leg and 15 right leg for knee stability/mobility.

Beats running on a treadmill for "45 minutes". Gross!!!

2009-05-20T21:12:00.003-05:00

Had a great session of western boxing training with my martial artist Guru Carl. Alot of what he showed me transfers to how we do the peg board drill in Z-Health. An uppercut involves the arms, torso, hips,legs and even the calves for the umph to lift you unfortunate oppent off the ground with a knockout punch ala Mike Tyson.
The fundamentals are what make you great. Tyson had a three punch combo that ruled the boxing world, for a time. He was a master of the basics.

2009-05-15T06:09:00.003-05:00

I've been sprinting on flat land this week. Big difference in having little or no knee pain. I changed it up after reading an article about the best way to increase sprinting speed. Let's just say, Pavel is all over it with his Power to the People book.

2009-05-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

Military presses- 24k x 3 x 5 sets. Hour break. Bent presses- 24k x 2 x 3 sets.
Here's what else is planned for today. Kettlebell juggling and running the hills.

2009-04-26T09:05:00.003-05:00

Here is what I did Friday...
All manner of swings starting with the 12k up to the Beastie. Did two hand, one hand, hand to hand, double outside the legs etc... for 150 reps as a good general warm-up. Then I did the Gauntlet- Single arm swings-five right, five left starting with the Beastie, 40k, 32k (this became light), 24k and finished with the 16k. That's one set of 50 reps pausing only pausing to set the bell down, regroup and move to the next weight. I suggest walking around for awhile after that one! Then I did deep breathing that Brett Jones showed us called the crocidile? where you lay on your belly on the floor and breathe thru the deep belly to recover. I spent 10 minutes there.
Then I did some Z drills to finish it out.

Saturday training. Bench pistols right side first. 0, 18#, 12k, 16k, 24k x 3 reps at each weight. Then I did the left leg. That's a tip from Marty Gallagher.
1/2 hour break.
Military presses- Right side first- 18#, 12k, 16k, 24k, 32k x 3 reps each. Did the same on the left.
15 minute break- Chins- 0, 18#, 12k, 16k, 24k x 3 reps each. That's it for resistance training.

Later in the afternoon A.J. and I ran up a 70 to 80 degree hill, once. Our thighs were on fire and did not want to motor any more. We then walked down a lower incline trail and called it a day.
Later I raced Brock home and my thighs were screaming!
Next time we hit that hill, we'll run it twice.

2009-04-21T17:54:00.003-05:00

Started "Operation Sweetness". Hill sprints 3x per week until S-Phase in early December. That's how Walter Payton (Sweetness) and Marcus Allen trained for football.
My boy A.J. and I did five sprints today for our first day.
A comment was made, so now I must fulfill my destiny.
The RKC this past weekend was very different than in the past. Very interesting...

2009-04-17T20:53:00.003-05:00

I have about two minutes to post. Zar Horton let me lead our team thru about three minutes of Z-drills this morning. I targeted the shoulders, hips, tooties and hands. Stuff I would do if I had to warm up for the snatch test.
Sure enough, everyone who performed the snatch test this morning passed! I credit the Z drills, the proper Z drills and my awesome instruction of the Z drills.
Day one of the RKC is done.

2009-04-14T20:18:00.005-05:00

Tapering off for the RKC this week. I will be assisting. I did the Z-Health NWU-II today and Sunday. It kicks butt! My three week old shoulder pain was GONE immediately afterwards on Sunday. Pain is down to nothing now. What a sytem!
Onto the RKC Thursday for set-up and the SNATCH TEST!!!
Like Pauly from the Rocky movies always says "I don't sweat you".

2009-04-11T19:10:00.003-05:00

Went on a hike this morning. Found a cave that was really cool at an undisclosed location.
This afternoon I did some clubs to warm up for the 50' rope cardio. Did that for 10 minutes. Plus various push -ups of the regular, hindu and pump variety. Beast swings to cool down. Pushed the bell back and forth with authority. Then me and my boys did some soccer training which amounted to mostly running and passing the ball back and forth while the dog jumped at us.

2009-04-10T17:11:00.003-05:00

100 reps of snatches, double snatches and double swings. After a five minute break I did 3 x 3 of bench pistols to keep the legs in check.
Various Z drills followed to loosen and relax, mainly hands and feet because that's where the most tension is stored.

2009-04-05T08:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I did chins. Got the Beast up to my chin. If my chin was shorter I would have been over the bar. LOL! Then I went out in the yard and did some low impact cardio with the rope. I can see many, many variations of this ahead of me.
My shoulders feel great today. The new firmer pillow helps take the weight off my shoulders while I sleep.

2009-04-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

PR!
Bench pistoled the BEAST today! Then I did farmers walks around the yard for one lap with the 16k's for a treat.

2009-04-02T18:47:00.003-05:00

Swing, high pull, snatch day...
24k - 40k x 3 in order per side starting on the left.
Beast x 1 rep of each x 2 cycles.
Back down to the 40k for 3 and the 32k for 3.
My 50 foot x 1 1/2 inch manila rope arrived today so I had to play with that.
I did a few waves before the bells and did more afterwards outside. It's a great cardio conditioner. Another fun way to play while exercising. The kids love the ropes too.
I also did some 16k arm bars 3 x 3 each arm.

2009-03-31T18:13:00.003-05:00

Swings day. Did some warm up mobility work and then hit it.
Ladders- 24 - 40k x 5/5 x 3 cycles. I did a set every 30 seconds. I didn't use the Beast 'cause I'm not going heavy today.
1/2 get ups x 20 left, 10 right x 16k.
Arm bars- 10 left, 5 right x 16k.
On both these exercises I did half the left hand reps, rested then did the other half.
Mobility work then played DS while laying on my belly to relax my back for 10 minutes or so.

2009-03-26T17:14:00.003-05:00

Circuit- Bohemian bench squats (pistols), chins-in four directions(grips) and clean & presses. I went from 0 bodyweight up to a 24k bell for 3 reps on the pistols & presses and 4 reps on the chins. This took about 10 minutes.
After a short 10 minutes break I did 24k snatches- 10/10 x 5 sets in 6 minutes. Worked on my breathing sequence.
10 minutes of Z drills to work out the kinks and I'm off my sons art show.

2009-03-24T06:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday before my kettlebell class I did open palm TGU's. It's funny how much balnce is required to hold a round ball of metal while you stand up and lie back down. 12k- 24k 1 rep each hand. Also did an arm bar at the end of every rep. Shoulders are feeling good!

2009-03-21T15:43:00.004-05:00

Am- Z drills warm up. Got my chance at the new massage chair, finally! It's totally awesome!
Later did TGU's - 12k reg/ bottoms up. 16k reg/bottoms up x 1 each side x 3 sets.
Later practiced snatches- 12k- 32k 5/5. Ladders- 24/ 32k x 5/5 x 3 cycles for 60 reps.
Later again- Did clubbell & gada stick contortions to work the shoulders thru many different ranges of motion.
Off to practice golf with one of my boys.

2009-03-16T16:55:00.003-05:00

C & P- 12 - 32kg. 40 didn't go. Cleaned the Beast two times each side then did a TGU on each side. Swings- 24k - 48 k x 5/5 at each weight. Did another set of cleans with the Beast. Z-Drills. I was beat from staying up too late watching Celebrity Apprentice and some of the Doom and Gloom newscast. BOO hoo. I predict that Jesse James will be the last man standing.

2009-03-14T11:05:00.003-05:00

Z-drills to warm up. Clean & press- 12k -32k x 2, 40k x 1. Swings- 32k - 48k x 5/5. TGU the Beast- x 1/1.
Z-drills as a finisher.

2009-03-13T18:07:00.003-05:00

Pistol/ tactical chin circuit after Z-drills. 12k x 2/2, 16k x 2/2, 24k x 1/1, 32k x 1/1. Changed clothes then came back and did snatches 24k x 25/25. Z-drills to stay loose.

2009-03-12T20:52:00.001-05:00

Heavy- cleans, TGU's, swings done briefly. High frequency, low volume.

2009-03-11T17:23:00.003-05:00

Fast circuits of pistols off a bench and chins. 12k x 2/2, 16k x 2/2, 24k x 2/1, 32k x 2/1 x 2 cycles. Z drills b4 & after.

2009-03-08T12:47:00.003-05:00

#8 club swings and swipes x 10 each. #12.5 x 5 each. #13 Gada's x 5 each. Those are a little trickier with the long handles. Had to choke up on them so they don't hit the floor on the backswing.
Double TGU's- lunge style- 16's- 32's x l/r 1 rep each. Just worked on perfecting the placement and pick-up of the second bell. Stopped with plenty of gas in the tank for the week ahead. Good for the legs, hips, torso, shoulder girdle.

2009-03-06T18:19:00.000-06:00

TGIF!
I feel the need for TGU's.
Warm up and cool down of Z drills, hindu push ups, hindu squats and wall walks.
TGU's- squat style- 16-32kg right/left. 40 kg lunge style r/l.
Alternating arm bars 24k x 4 per side. Just enough to take the edge off. Did some juggling of oranges for hand/eye coordination practice.
Judo tomorrow!