Push/Pull with grip emphasis

Bottom up press w/#50 kb 4 x 3 sets; 5 x 2 sets

Rolling thunder #125 3 x 3 sets

Extensor work

Short and sweet but excellent grip workout

Very cool site

Check this out if you do any sort of distance training:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Zoom in on where you want and map out your route and it will give you the distance.

Home made grip toy & todays training

I have seen this style of grip tool on a few sites but thought I would make my own. Softball, 6" eye bolt & a bit fo drilling. I countersunk the nut. Very humbling to say the least. Makes a huge difference how you grip it. You can see the difference in weight from overhand (67 1/2) to a more side on grip (75 could have done a bit more). I will be making another one and also a couple with baseballs. Chinsand other fun stuff will be on the cards!


Joint mobility & kb warm up

2 KB deads #100's 3 x 3
2 KB front squats 88's 3 x 3

Band presses (2 yell & 1 mag) 3 x 3
Chins BW 3 x 3

Some softball lifts

Swim:)

A marathon workout

Enjoying things that are outside of the box limits you to who you can enjoy those activities with. I don't have any regular training partner(besides the dog and she just wants to chase the ball) but I do have some friends crazy enough to drop by now and again.

One of the most admirable traits that I feel you can find in a person is the ability to step up to the plate. If you suceed you achieve and learn but the same can be said if you fail. Just being up there allows you the opportunity to grow and learn. If you don't even step up then you have wasted that opportunity.

I had the pleasure of putting my friend Tom Shook through some fun stuff today. I met Tom about a year ago at one of my workshops. Since then he has become a certified kettlebell instructor. Tom has that admiable quality of stepping up. We did some things that I am sure pushed us to and above our limits. Yes we both attempted some exercises that were beyond our scope but it wasn't about that. It was about stepping up. Some was heavy but that wasn't the total order of the day. Making the lifts difficult was the main aim. Enjoy the pics.

Tire flips w/#400 pound tire, Fatbar deads, #150 med ball, Softball deads. Also did some sled dragging, rope pulling, heavy farmers walks and I am sure other stuff! Ate a big lunch after;)
Thanks for dropping by Tom. Look forward to doing it again soon.

Training update

Monday

double kb deads 88's 3 x 3
double kb front squats 3 x 3

band presses (2 yellow & 1 mag) 3 x 3
chins bw 3 x 3

Tuesday

Blob lifting
#30 5, 3
#35 3 x 3
#45 1 x 2 assists

Clubbells #15
shield cast 5 x 3
pendulum 5 x 3

kb snatches
#70 3 x 1
# 88 3 x 3

The rest of the week has been a crazy one for me but I did workouts at different times of the day. Just lots of mini workouts to keep the groove. I knew that I had some people coming and that there would be big training going down. Actually only ended up being one big workout with my friend Tom Shook. I'll write more about it in the next post.

kettlebell class

Here is tonights kettlebell crew! Hard work and determination especially during the relay!

My training partner

Been a busy time for me but here is the training.

Thursday

Thick bar deads #145 5 x 2 sets
#195 x 3
#215 x 2 (failed on 3rd rep) , 2 , 1
Blobs #30 x 5 reps
#35 x 2 reps
Blob cleans #20 x 10 reps

wrist work

Friday

Kb warm up halo, ribbons, ribbon w/twist, fig 8's

Kb Front squats 28's 5 x 5

clubbells w #15
pendulum 5 x 2
shield casts 5 x 2

Saturday

Clubbell
#25 shield casts x 5 reps
#15 shield cast x 5 reps

Kb L/cycle 88 2,4,6,2,4,2 most were push presses

wrist/hand work

Monday

Band presses 2 yellow 10 x 5 sets

Tri pushdowns with bkue band 5 x 2 sets
Reverse M/P pulls w/blue band 5 x 2 sets

Shrugs w/2 28 kg kb's 5 x 2 sets
Bottom up floor press w/20kg kb 5 x 2 sets

Overhead lockout w/28kg kb 1 min l+r

Tuesday

MP kb 88 1,2,2,1,1,1
still finding groove

Wednesday

Clubbells #15
swipe & press 2,4,6,2,4,2
in & outward pendulum 2,4,6,2,4,2
Shield cast 2,4,6,2,4,2

Hand work

Thursday

Had a bit of a play in the morning with rolling thunder and pulled #150 + equipment.

Did an kb exhibition at Sacramento Int fair

Kettlebell article

I have a new article up on Dragondoor.com

Be sure check it out and let me know what you think.

Point rooting

Make it a ......

Friday 2nd

Deadlifts fatbar #226 x 1; #206 x 1; #176 x 1
#176 3 x 10 sets

Hand work

Saturday 3rd

Circuits 30 secs/exercise
#1 jump squats, sledge hitting tire, kb swings #30, sledge, jumping lunges, sledge
#2 kb f/squats #30's,sledge, sandbag highpull #50, sledge, kb sumo deadlift #70's, sledge
#3 dbl kb p/presses(#30's), sledge, zercher lunges w/sandbag #50, sledge, med ball shouldering #60, sledge
*Third circuit did twice through with no break

Hand work

Monday 4th

M/P (2 yellow bands) 5 x 5
Squat (2 yellow bands) 5 x 5

Tuesday 5th

Bottom up presses
#50 2 x 3 sets
#60 1 x 3 sets
#50 3 x3 sets
#60 1 x 2 sets

Chins w/#20 kb 3 x 3 sets

Hand work

Wednesday 6th

Tire flips #400 6 x 10 sets
first 2 sets w/1 min breaks then took 30 sec for the other sets

Haven't had the tire out for a while and was good to get back into it!

One of my favorite toys

My 2 1/2 " fatbar! It is a beast but a ton of fun.

Training for knowledge

"Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body" Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

I am by no means profound in my thinking!

This week I did a lot (maybe too much) shoulder work but it gave me an insight to my overhead pressing. My point being (remember the first sentence here;) if I always train in my comfort zone or the way that I know as safe then I would not have these insights. I love to train hard and know that training smart is also important but life isn't always this way. It is in times of hardship or extremes we really find what we are made of.






Monday

Short hike

Band presses (2 yellow + 1 mag) 5 x 3 sets
Pistols Bw (onto box) 3 x 5 sets

Tuesday

Pistols Bw 3 x 10 sets
Pullups Bw 5 x 6 sets

Wednesday

Pistols 3 x 6 reps

Mil. press KB #50 5 reps
# 70 ladder 1,2,3 done 5 times + 25 reps/ arm

Thursday

Pistols Bw 3 x 7 sets

Clubbells # 15's
Swipe + press 20 x 2 sets
Shield cast x 5 both directions
behind head circles x 5 both directions

Shoulders felt great after

Something I've never done before

One arm/leg push up

Thursday 26th

AM
Kb ribbons x 10
Angle swings x 10

PM
Band presses (2 yellow + 1 mag) 5 x 4 sets

Dbl Kb snatches (#50's) 5 x 3 sets

Friday 27th

3 hour photo session taking pics for the new website!
Man was I sore the next day.
One of my clients was kind enough to offer his services, thanks John.

Taking it easy this weekend and going for a hike tommorow.

training update

Thursday

BBSA gripper 5 x 4 sets
Extensor 10 x 4 sets

Friday

M/P #88 kb 2 x 2 sets, 1 x 1 set

Sat

JM
pushups x 50
Squats x 50

Sun

JM
Pushups x 50
Squats x 50
BW rows x 50

Tuesday

JM

EDT
M/press 3 x 10 sets
Rows 3 x 10 sets
*15 mins

Squats 3 x 10 sets
Swings 3 x 10 sets
* 10 mins

Wed
JM

Played around with the bells a bit. Nothing planned just a bit of fun.

Reason to train?

Less than 12 months ago my friend went for surgery to get 3 discs in his neck fused! Now he is lifting the beast #106 kettlebell(right hand) and the bulldog #88 kettlebell(left hand, just missed the beast)! If that ain't inspirational I don't know what is!

If you can't find the time or effort to train, then you need to make it a necessity.

Some pics from the seminar

Pavel assisting victims with their form.




















Mike pressing the beast

















Franz & Yoana from Revolution LaJolla assisting Pavel.


Joe Sarti pressing the TNT cables from Lifeline

Beyond Bodybuilding Mahler/Pavel Workshop

Had the honor of assisting at the first ever Mahler & Pavel workshop in L.A. It was a great experience and I will write more about it when I get a chance.

Training update

Tuesday

Jm
Dislocates

Dbl M/P #70 kb's 5 x 3 sets , 4 x 2 sets
Dbl Row #70 kb's 5 x 5 sets

Sledge levering #10 2 x 2 sets
Pistol w/band 2 x 2 sets

Wednesday
AM

J moblity

One hand Swing ladder #36 kb 2,4,6,8,2,4,6,2,4,2 = 40 reps / hand

PM
Clean & racked squat #88 kb x 3 reps
#106 kb 3 x 2 sets

Clubbells #15
Shield cast + swipe w/press + behind head circles 3 x 2 sets

Ab and hand/wrist work

Susan Komen run

Saturday

AM
Easy run with my mum who is 10 years cancer free. Awesome!

PM
clubbells #15's
shield casts x 5
behind head circle x 5

Swipes w/press x 5

#200 ball clean to chest x 4 reps

wrist and hand work

Monday

JM

Pullups on rings w/#50 kb 2 x 5 sets
dips on rings BW 2 x 5 sets

Snatch to overhead squat w/#70 kb 5 x 2 sets

wrist and hand work

My need to train

Thursday

Band Presses (2 yellow + 1 mag.) 5 reps x 4 sets

Friday

Even though I did some heavy (for a non-laborer) manual labor and it was tiring, it felt as though I hadn't been training. I don't know how to describe it but if I don't train I have way too much energy. In short I need to train for my sanity (or maybe those around me;) so did a hard one today. Feel a lot better. Tomorrow I am doing the Komen race with my mum.

Joint mobility

Windmill w/#50 kb x 2 reps
Ribbons w/#50 kb x 5 reps

Thrusters w/2 #70 kb's Density style for 10 mins/44 reps total
5 reps x 8 sets; 3 x 1 set; 1 x 1 set
Shoulders got fatigued at the end. Used box so all squats were thighs parallel.

Chins BW 3 x 3 sets
Swings w/#50 kb 3 x 3 sets

Walks with #36 290 feet(145 feet/arm) each one (overhead, racked and farmers)

Band dislocates x 30 reps

Manual Labor

I have been doing a lot of manual work including digging, sledgehammers and car pushing. No formal workout but did enough each day. Body held up fine and looking forward to getting back into training.

Last night did the workout with the class which was cool. Circuits done for 10 mins with #36 k/bell.

Ribbons x 3/side
Dragon twist(bell racked) x 3/side
swings x 3/hand
slingshot x 3/each direction
Tac. lunges x 3/hand
Overhead chops x 3/side
Racked squats x 3/side