kettlebell bottom up press

Unexpected PR!

Thursday & Fridays training

Thursday

Joint mobility

Halos #36 6 x 2 sets

Windmill #60 2 x 2 sets

Clubs #1's circles to rear x 50 both ways

Shoulders were feeling very fatigued from yesterday.

PM
Swim

Bandwork

Friday

Tempo runs approx 75 meters
10 times through with med ball slams x 20 or push ups x 20 after each run

This is the first time I have tried the tempo runs. I got the idea from my friend Franz of RevolutionLaJolla Thanks Franz.

After did a double bottom up press for a big PR (vid in above post)

Training update

Monday

Joint mobility

Rolling thunder (extended range)
#105; #115; #125 3 x 3 sets (except #125 2 reps on last #125)

BU presses #40 3 x 2 sets
# 50 3 x 2 sets

Ab band curls Blue x 30 reps

Tuesday

Joint mobility

Clubbell #15
pendulum 5 x 3 sets
shield casts 5 x 3 sets
Swipe w/press 5 x 3 sets

Wednesday

Joint mobility

BU press #50
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5right 4 + 1 left
= 65 reps/arm PR

Swim

Extensor work 10 x 5 sets

Pavel's blog

Here is a recent post from Pavel's blog featuring yours truly:
A crisper and more powerful swing

The RKC system of kettlebell training is known for its subtle martial arts techniques for amplifying power: power breathing, rooting, etc.
Com. Ken Black, RKC has another internal strength technique your kettlebell swing technique:
“Let us take the focus away from the hips for the moment. With your feet shoulder width apart stand with your legs straight so that they are locked. Now imagine the focal point being your knee. From the knee down press into the ground and from the knee up pull your thighs up. Contract your glutes so that the legs and core are solid and you have a strong connection through you feet to the ground. Make sure that your eyes are forward at all times.
“Remember the feeling of this action. Next do it in motion imitating a swing without a kettlebell. Start by doing it slowly and build up the speed till you are doing it at the same pace as your swing. Now go back to your swings and replicate this imagery for a more powerful swing.”

Ain't no excuse

I have a cold but not that bad. Still no reason not to train! You will always find a reason not to train. I hate not being able to train but at the same time it is hard to listen to your body and not push it too far. It is a fine line for me sometimes. Anyways.....

Thursday
Joint mobility & dislocates
Halos #30 6 x 2 sets
Bott. up press #30 5 reps

Friday
Rolling thunder # 103 3 x 3

BU press #50 3 x 3
Ring dips BW 3 x 3

BU clean #70 3, 2, 1

Saturday
Workout at park (with Pete & Bob)

Chins1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3
Dips 5 x 3 sets
Push presses with #40 1,2,4,8,16,36,16,8,4,2,1

Back from Japan

Well I am back for Japan. Had a very good time.

Trained a little kb's with a guy from Tokyo. He said he will be going to RKC next year so he will be the first RKC in Japan.

Training was all bodyweight and band work. Nothing fancy. Some gripper work also.

Training update

Training lately has been bottoms up presses with the kettlebells, band work, blobs, chins, grippers, and other stuff. I trained with Joe Sarti last week also which was awesome. Made some real nice attempts at one arm wheel rollouts!
Also got to meet Mark Reifkind from the bay area at a powerlifting meet. Here is a couple of vids of his training protege:
Squat
Bench
Deadlift

Good fun all round. Next ten days I won't have computer access so the training will be updated when I get back. Be well and look forward to catching up with you then.

Joe Sarti doing alt snatches



















Me, Pete & Rif

Hope you all have a great day. Here is a video from last year of me sots pressing the #70 kettlebells.


Great help from the training partner:)

Lazy Sunday

Lazy Sunday training:)

Sacramento newest Certified kettlebell instructor Pete Diaz dropped by for a quick workout today. I have known Pete for quite some time now. He is very easy going and strong guy. He is not the type of person to do things by halves! Anyways here is the training that went down and a couple of pics:
Softball deadlifts:
Overgrip
#38 x 1
#48 x 1
#58 x 0
Sidegrip
#58 x 4

Rolling thunder
#83 x 5
#108 x 3

Med ball Push presses
#150 x 1, 2

Pete jerking the beast

#115 on the rolling thunder

Join the party

I took this pic after today's workout. I thought it was cool but the wife wasn't really feeling it;)

Thursday

Went for a run with the better half about 2 miles . I bought some of those nike free and they are really good.

Clubbells #15
pendulum 10 x 2 sets
shield cast 10 x 2 sets
swipe w/press 10 x 2 sets

PM did some hand health and grip work

Friday

Made a new toy for lower arm fun. Played around with it and called it a day.

Saturday

Joint mobility, dislocates and halos

Band presses (3 yellow) 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3
Chins on rings w/#36 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3

Practiced bottom up cleans

Man maker snatches w/ #50 kettlebell & 490' runs

5, run, 10, run, 15, run, 20, run, 5, run, 10, run, 15, run, 5, run, 10, run, 5 = 100 snatches/arm
Total time 21:49 Result:

Will do some hand work later on today.

Don't Just Do It

If you are laying on your back bench pressing thinking "What am I going to do for dinner", "How do I look" or anything to that effect, then you are "Just doing it". If the weight is that light or the exercise is that easy, do you really think you are going to achieve any real benefit from it?

I don't know about you but if you are at work and thinking about dinner or how you look you will be much less productive than if you focus on the task at hand. It is very easy to just go with the flow and let your mind drift off while you are training.

I always talk about hamster fitness at my workshops and classes. Now I don't have anything against hamsters and I believe they truly are fit little critters but they just run on the wheel to nowhere. Next time you drift away whether it be on the treadmill or pressing your dumbells think and get a feel of what you are doing. Don't be a hamster.

Using your mind to focus your power and energy is a very powerful tool that you can use. So don't just do it, feel and think it. Most of all enjoy the reward that you have done your best and put your heart, mind and soul into the workout. The distinction between fitness, health and life I believe is closer than most people think.

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!