And The Biometric Numbers Are In

Had my doctor's visit last week:
Good: Weight 181, down 10.5 lbs.  Resting Heart Rate 49  HDL 71
Bad: Blood Pressure this AM 10 minutes after awakening, 128/85 and it's been consistently higher 138/85 at Doctors office LDL 173  Creatnine 1.4
Ugly Total Cholesterol 244

I'm disappointed to say the least. I feel like I'm 23. Sure, there is stress in my life raising my teenage sons. And I do eat too much sodium, red meat and cheese.  So I've earned the cholesterol and the blood pressure numbers.  However my doctor was concerned enough to send me for an ultrasound on my kidneys, which was yesterday and mentioned chronic kidney disease.  I had an ultrasound on them a few years ago, so I'm not that concerned about that piece.  False alarm.

What's the plan now?  Welp, I've started with the diet. First plan is to only have meat once a day.  Cut out all cheese. No more protein shakes, (too much protein affecting kidneys?) More chicken, more egg whites, more fruit and vegetables, more carbs.  I really don't want to lose anymore weight. 3 lbs. to 178 is the lowest I want to go. But with fats being cut out of the diet, I have to increase carbs.  This is the first time ever I've had to worry about losing too much weight.  The good news is, I get to eat a lot.  Here's what today looked like:

3 cups of black coffee
After workout, 8 oz of water 2 Tbs. of Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Juice
Breakfast at 10 AM
Navel Orange
1 cup of old fashion whole oats with honey, raisins and cinnamon. Been my breakfast everyday
Snack at Noon of 22 almonds
1 pint of Coconut Water with pulp.  High in potassium, good for blood pressure
 Lunch at 2:45
3 egg 1 egg white (ran out of egg whites, usually 2 eggs, 2-3 egg whites) omelet with broccoli, black beans, spinach, red pepper and onion
Snack 4:45 Apple 
Dinner at 7:00
2 pieces of grilled chicken breast, roasted potato, and roasted green beans and red peppers.
Drank about 1/2 gallon of water.

Trying to reduce the sodium and fat.  The main goal is to get the cholesterol down through a good diet.  I'll have red meat once or twice a week, just smaller portions.  I can't eat fish, I'm allergic, and I'm not going to eat soy or tofu. The blood pressure, at this point,  I'm guessing is genetic. I'll take it daily since I just bought a monitor for home. If I have to go on medication, so be it.

Another blood test in the middle of February and a doctor's visit right before my 49th birthday. Stay tuned.

I was cocksure not drinking would have knocked my blood pressure down to normal.  Anyway, still dry since August. Don't miss it in the least. Was at a friend's house after dinner and he offered me some Johnnie Walker Blue.  Only $160/bottle.  I looked at it, read the back, about the hints of honey in the whisky, the golden color in the glass, and to tell you the truth, it had ZERO appeal to me.  So it was easy to decline. It makes me wonder what the effect would have been if I was still drinking on the weekends.

I'm definitely a little quieter and become bored easier in social situations. However, I got together my childhood friends and the wives the Friday after Thanksgiving.  You know the type of friends I'm talking about, the ones who have known you for 40+ years. The ones who know you like the back of their hands and make sure you don't get too big for your britches. The only critics whose input I care about. Well, one of them came up to me and said, "I didn't even notice you weren't drinking. You're not one of those guys who whines about it. You're just as fun." And his brother, who's my best friend, switched to water at 10:30 and we were all still going strong laughing singing and dancing until 2:30 AM. In the past, all of us are a 12 pack deep at 10:30. So I guess what I'm saying is the closer I am to you the louder I am.

Currently in week 5 of two 9 week More Kettlebell Muscle Programs by Geoff Neupert  Clean 'Em Up 2.0 and You Don't Know Squat. 

For Clean 'Em Up, using double 45s chain style. 6 times around the sequence.  Heavy Day tomorrow, here's what it looks like:

Repeat Sequence 6 times
Double Clean x 1
Front Squat x1
Double Snatch x1
Press x 1
Double Swing x 1
Row x 1
That's a 36 rep set.  Doing 4 rounds.  Rest ratio is 1:1.5 Meaning if takes, 100 seconds to complete, rest 150 seconds.

For You Don't Know Squat, I was doing Easy and Medium Days with the 55's, and Heavy Day with the 45's.  However, as the rest periods have gotten shorter, my press weakened.  Heavy Day tomorrow look like this done as a complex. 4 rounds work:rest 1:1.5
Double Clean x 1
Front Squat x 3
Double Snatch x 3
Front Squat x 3
Double Press x 3
Front Squat x 3
Double Clean x 3
Front Squat x 3
Push Press x 3

I'll say it once and I'll say it again, holding the bells in the rack doing front squats, fries the back of the shoulders.  Quite fatiguing.  Why 2 programs? It only takes 15-25 minutes to finish both. Unless I'm doing a 10 minute snatch test, I don't like going below 15 minutes for a workout.

Still running once a week. Last week, dropped the car off for an oil change, ran 4.7 miles home breathing only through my nose for the first 3 miles. Hitting Planet Fitness to do chest and back once a week. Trying to take more days off. At least 2 a week.  

So as of now the goal is to stick with the programs I'm working on, staying healthy, and not getting hurt. No fasting, no magnesium, no crazy shit.  3 squares, 2 snacks and walk more. 

10 Weeks Later

70 Days into my health kick.  Like the Energizer Bunny, I keep going and going and going....

Lots of good news

1. Weight down 8-9 lbs 182-183 range. And I've eaten like an 18 year old. Been on the road last 3 weeks.  Ate steak, doughnuts, French toast, bacon, fried chicken. Chinese food 3 times.  And lost weight.

2. Had elbow tendonitis finally taken care of with a cortisone shot. It was sore for 2 days after the shot, now, pain free.

3. While there, they took my blood pressure. Wasn't expecting that after 3 cups of coffee.  135/77 down from 142/96.  And believe me, I've had some stress in my life.

4. New role, start that tomorrow.  It's still working from home and will be a great opportunity to leverage what I've been doing.

5. Still on the wagon with zero temptation.  Probably going to be permanent. 

6. I feel 25 years younger, physically

7. Consistent with workouts.

Habits I'm continuing

1. Still drinking a pint of coconut water a day for potassium and to help lower blood pressure.

2. Still have my 2 Tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 Tbs of Lemon Juice and Water, taken the rest of the stuff out of it.  Drinking before bed vs. before a meal.  it's supposed to lower blood sugar at night by up to 6%.

3. Keep fighting through stress.  I wouldn't call it a banner month from a personal standpoint (parenting is REALLY hard sometimes), but I'm on my game.

4. No drinking.

Workouts

 1. Hitting Planet Fitness 1-2 x a week to do chest and back exercises and a 2 mile run.  When I was in San Francisco the second week, there was one 100 yards from my hotel, used twice.

2. Still doing kettlebells.  More getups and swings because of my balky elbow. Been gingerly trying not to re-injure it. Did about 25 snatches yesterday, in sets of 5, no pain.  Not doing any real programming right now. 

3.  Been running a little. did 5.4 miles outdoors last Sunday, then took a few days off. 

4. In San Francisco they had a group bodyweight Orange Theory class at 6 AM at the hotel.  Brutal. I was having conversations with myself about losing the previous night's dinner.  And I was in bed by 10 PM PDT. I could only imagine my colleagues whose livers were in overdrive from the night before.

My previous post was my most read to date, by far.  There were quite a few people, who I know personally have come up to me and told me they read it.  Kind of surprised me to tell you the truth. Usually I feel like I'm writing to a bunch of strangers and I like it that way. Though I do catch a little grief from some of my closer friends and relatives.  What people don't understand is, we are always evolving. Values change, people change. I have a friend who is getting pretty famous on his YouTube channel. I laugh hysterically when I watch it.  I've taken to calling him "The Luckiest Man On Earth" to his face, after he referred to himself as that after Hurricane Irma. But, I also can appreciate that he's building his brand, and 99% of the people who watch him don't know him like I do. I've done a couple of videos. I don't like the way I look or sound.  I feel vulnerable in front of the camera.  I guess that means you won't see any sex videos of me being released.
  
Thoughts on not drinking
Now we've gotten to the meat and potatoes of this blog.  Let me preface this by saying, I never had a drinking problem. Did I binge drink like a lot of adults? Sometimes, yes. Did I drink every day? No way. Call it 15-20 units a week over 3-4 days. I drank on weekends, or when going out to dinners or social events. I love scotch, could take or leave everything else. My only advice to any of you who want to lose weight, get in great shape, feel healthier, abstaining from alcohol is 100% the magic pill.  Not even in moderation.  You will look better, feel better, perform better, behave better.  The trade-off is; life will get a little slower, maybe even boring. I've been to bars, out for drinks, numerous parties, golfing, hanging out at the 19th hole, stuck in airports, traveled back and forth cross country twice, a terrible week of meetings away from home, professional social events, on vacation with my friends and haven't drank. I've only been quasi-tempted once. Me and my colleague/friend were walking down Nob Hill in San Francisco, near the Buenavista Cafe and I thought about their Irish Coffee. Other than that, it never crosses my mind. Once my mind is made up to quit something, I'm good.

I still have a good time. I'm a world class chatterbox, so I don't have any issue holding conversations. Last week in Asheville, after dinner, we went to a blues bar. Great music, hilarious people watching, (judging here, but it's a bunch of hipsters trying WAY too hard to be different). Artistic, eclectic, a glorified Vermont come to my mind. My buddy has a house on a ridge above timber at the top of a mountain. Drove the rented Tahoe in the dark up the mountain. Provided a great rush for me. Any personal issues I have, I feel I can deal with them head on with laser like execution.  Fighting off a hangover when you're not feeling great personally really stinks.

What is your preferred potable?

Micro Brew 
Pros: Have a better flavor than mass-produced beer, interesting styles of taste.
Cons: They're heavy, hard to drink more than two, hoppy beers release estrogen. Estrogen gives men Bitch Tits

Regular Beer
Pros: The ultimate culture uniter among male friends.  "Let's have some beers" Great on the beach or after mowing the lawn.
Cons: Light beer has no flavor or alcohol, need at least 6 to feel anything. No point to it.  Regular beer has a sweet aftertaste and makes you feel bloated.

Wine
Pros: Wine tasting at vineyards is a nice thing to do with your sweetie. Pairs well with food.  Different types of grapes bring different types of wine
Cons: Makes you feel sluggish and sleepy. Too much wine leads to nasty hangovers. The mommy/wine culture is stupid. Go to your local liquor store for a wine tasting.  Look at the dregs of society that show up.

Scotch
Pros: Once you acquire the taste, the differences in whiskies are quite interesting. Relaxing with a book in front of a fire. Good bang for the buck,
Cons: Can't have more than two and the best scotch according to my cousin is the second one. Can go down fast. Best only in moderation.

Bourbon/Rye
Pros: Good for cocktails. An okay substitute if there is no scotch.
Cons: Scotch tastes better. I find bourbon to be too hillbilly/charcoal infested for my pallet. Same issues about potency as scotch.

Vodka
Pros: Good to mix with.  Comes in a variety of flavors
Cons: Makes some people insane.  I'm not a vodka guy at all. Would drink it maybe once a year tops.

Gin
Pros: Mixes well for martinis or with tonic water.  Great refresher on a hot day coming off the beach
Cons: Liquid Satan.  94 proof, more than vodka or whisky.  Hits you like an uppercut. Tastes like soap after the second one.

So as you can see with no scotch in the house, it is easy for me to abstain. I'm at the point where, if all this stuff is going well for me, why even bother starting again?  Oh and the cash register is up to at least $500 saved. I've put my money to better use. Bought a set of Callaway woods for golfing. $360 and paid for my flight down to Asheville. 

Today's workout:
28 kg kettlebell
2-5 rounds:

1 Turkish Getup Each Side
10 two hand swings
2 Turkish Getups on one side, then 2 on the other
15 two hand swings
3 Turkish Getups on one side then 3 on the other
25 two hand swings
50 two hands swings










 

Health Kick On The Rocks

It's been awhile. Yes, I finished the 10,000 swings in 10 days.

 I've been trying some things with my diet to achieve optimal health.  No, I'm not eating avocado ice cream, using bands for pliability or self massaging myself every day.  Though 21 days a month is recommended according to Men's Health.  Adding and subtracting things from my diet.

Went on two vacations this summer both over a week long.  I did exercise regularly.  During the second vacation I averaged 5-6 miles running a day.  What? You're doing long sessions of cardio?  I thought you said, cardio was a Spanish word?  Yes, I started again when the weather became nice, put the headphones on, listen to songs I like to listen to and jog away. At home, I live in the bottom of a valley. All the hills I have to run up, really helped with the endurance on the flatter roads on Cape Cod.  I've also been plagued with tennis elbow in my right arm. After four months, I spent $25 on a Theraband to help heal it. The "Tyler Twist" is an exercise that is supposed to heal it.  Wrong, Hyperextending my forearm made it really sore, going in the other direction and stretching my wrist downward, seems to do the trick as long as I don't over do it.  Every day without tension, every other day with the theraband. No snatches or high pulls for me.

Went to the doctor for my first physical in 2 or 3 years, have a new PCP, my man retired.  First the good news, weight 4 days after vacation, 191.  Not great not terrible,  Resting heart rate 51 beats per minute, super excellent.  Blood pressure, 142/96.  WTF?  Possible causes, coffee in the AM?  yep, high sodium intake night before, absolutely.  I'm a salt vs sweet type.  Drinking 5+ every day the week before on the beach and out at dinner. Sure.  Doctor said, no big deal, you need blood work done, do that couple of days before Thanksgiving and come back on Tuesday, November 28. It's a date!

Previous to this, I've supplemented magnesium oil twice a day.  In July I discovered this lovely disgusting concoction that is supposed to reduce bloat, bacteria, acid and detoxify your body,  Drink 20 minutes before a meal.
8 oz water
2 TB Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TB Lemon Juice
TSP of Honey or more
1/2 TSP of Ginger
1/4 TSP of Cinnamon
1/4 TSP of Cayenne Pepper, opens up blood flow. Use less if necessary.

I read about the cancer fighting properties of Turmeric, so I throw a 1/2 tsp in with a dash of pepper.
3-4 times a week.  It's spicy, but okay.  Need to make sure to dissolve the cinnamon in the honey first, because it doesn't dissolve in the liquid. When I don't feel like throwing it all together, I just mix water with the ACV and Lemon Water.  Chug, done.

Ran into my buddy Al at the gym and shared with him my plight about my blood pressure, He told me to drink coconut water, the potassium is good for you.  So, being the coachable person I am, I bought it.  Love it.  Tastes sweet, rehydrates you, and is a good source of vitamins, electrolytes and minerals.  Bad news, it's pricey.  The lowest I've found is $1.25/pint at Big Lots.  Better yet, my family thinks it's gross, so they won't be stealing it.

Most importantly, no drinking until my appointment. I'm one of those people who likes keeping score. With 2 days before the first appointment and 2 days after, it will be 100 days.  Right now over a month into it.  After the first weekend, it's SO easy.  I've been out to eat several times, over people's houses, parties, golf tournament, ball game. Almost every social land mine except a wedding.

What I've learned is that I have the metabolism of an 18 year old when I don't drink.  I have eaten EVERYTHING and have lost 4 lbs.  I told my buddy Darren, who loves wine to try his; go to dinner, instead of wine tonight, drink diet coke or ice tea. I'll guarantee you won't be full.

Second, I'm keeping a running score in my head, $195 saved so far. That includes, what was missing in my bar. Handle of scotch, handle of gin, case of beer. If there isn't any booze in the house, I won't go to the store and buy it. I have no issues not purchasing overpriced drinks at restaurants. There are 4 cans of Miller High Life in the fridge, accounted for so certain seniors in high school don't take them. Honestly, I was kind of losing the taste for beer.The first Gin tastes great except 1/2 way through the second one starts to taste like soap. I never ever go for wine. In regard to whisky, Rye, no, Bourbon it's okay, not a huge fan of the hillbilly stuff. Love scotch. None in the house, no temptation.

Third, I'm sharp as a tack on the weekends.  I have a list of things I want to get done and workouts I want to do, and I bang them out. So much energy.

Fourth, back to the diet piece.  How often do you hear people say, "I'm so good during the week and blow it on the weekends."  Well let's say you eat 2500-3000 calories a day.  And the average recommended moderate dose of alcohol for a male adult is 15 units per week.  150 calories per drink x 15, is 2,250 calories.  About a full day of eating that you have to stave off before you can even start losing weight.  And let's face real facts. we drink pints of beer, at least doubles of liquor and no person fills only five ounces of wine.  So in reality, if you hit it good, throw the mixer in of tonic water or coke, It's more like 3200 calories plus.  Your metabolism can't keep up with that.  It's a stupid game to play.  Like blackjack 1 on 1 with the evil Asian dragon lady dealer.  You may win a few rounds, but you'll be walking away without success.

I've noticed the ACV helps with the joints, my soreness in my right knee is non existent, even doing lunges!

I'm done with the fasting and the cold showers. And when I mean fasting, I mean 40 hours.  I'll go until dinner without eating from time to time, but it's because I get busy and am not going to eat lunch at 3:30.  16 hours is not a fast, i always skip breakfast, mainly because I don't like it.  Black coffee at 7, ACV drink at 9/930, Coconut Water at 1030, Lunch, 12 30 -1, Protein shake at 3, Dinner.

Workouts, 6 days a week
Day 1, 5 x 5 Double Military Presses alternated with Rows, Double Front Squats alternated with Double Swings.  Turkish Getups and 100 swings

Day 2 Turkish Getups, 100 swings, 12 minutes of carries, 10 hill sprints

Day 3 5 x 5 Deadlifts alternated with lunges, 88's for deadlifts, 55's for lunges, go to the gym, chest  (Dips, and machine presses flat and incline) and light back work (Pulldowns and Rows, focus on form not grip to aggravate elbow) at the gym

Day 4, Same as day 2, 15 minutes Reverse Getups, 55 instead of Regular TGU's  First time I finished, heart rate was over 200

Day 5 One arm seated Kettlebell Press, 45 lbs, 5 x 5 Row 5 x 5, Jog 4-5 miles

Day 6 Double Kettlebell Front Squats, 70's, 10 sets of 5 alternated with Double Swings 70's 10 x 10

Day 7 off

Each week add one more rep to the sets, 5 x 6 vs 5 x 5. Once you get to 5 x 8 wave back to 5 x 6 and start over again.

For the double presses, I've moved to 70's and doing 10 sets x 2.  I like these workouts, they're all done in under an hour, and are good for total body strength.

The month of October looks like it will be a good challenge.  I have to go to San Francisco for business for the whole week of Columbus Day, then might have to go back there again the next week for 2 days. Finally, have a golf vacation at my buddy's house in Asheville, NC for the week AFTER that.  Looks like no Toronados for Pliny the Elder, or the Buena Vista for Irish coffee for me.  I'm fine with that.  There is nothing worse than having to be in all day meetings at 8 AM bleary eyed with the liver in overdrive. I'll get my workouts in.  The hotel near Union Square where I'm staying has a great gym and there is an awesome kettlebell gym on Van Ness a mile away.  That is, if I survive walking through the Tenderloin.

For benefits of ACV, Turmeric, Coconut Water, just do a search on it.  There are plenty of articles.

10,000 Swings in 10 Days the Sequel

Last September, I did the 10,000 swings in 10 days challenge.  As tedious and boring as this sounds, the immediate results of increased muscle in the traps and arms, trimmer waist, tighter glutes and reduced fat were worth it.  It's a shock cycle that, can't be done all the time, but once or twice a year is good.  Entering July and still carrying some winter weight it was put up or shut up time.  Last Sunday I started it. As of this AM I've done 5,485 swings over 6 days.  Should reach 10,000 on the 4th, which will be the 10th day.  There was an accidental day off. I had to take my car to the mechanic to fix a seat belt and ran 4 miles home. My plan was to do the swings after work. A good friend came by instead at 5:30 and we had a couple of beers on my deck. Was healed of my "fuckititis" the next day.

The weights I've been using are 55, 62, 70 and 88.  All different rep schemes, two handed and one handed swings.  Last two days to catch up, I've done 1200, and 1285 swings.  The 1285 was with a 55 only.  On the 1200 day, I alternated work and swings.  Make a call, do a set, back and forth.  Did 330 with the 88 to start.  Yesterday did a ladder up to 40 and back down from 30.  Did one hand swings on even numbers, two hand swings on odd.  Took 83 minutes to complete.

What I've found the hardest part to be is the beating my hands take.  Not blisters or ripped skin, just hot spots on my fingers.  My 62 and 70 irritate my fingers the most, because of the grit on the handle.  For years, I've complained about the enamel on the handle of my 55's, but the smoothness doesn't irritate. 

To work through hand soreness while working out.  I've used a  hand towel and wrapped it around the handle.  My hands stay dry without having to chalk up too much.  I started yesterday with bandaids around my finger tips, gloves and a towel, but at about 300, the bandaids slipped off, and I discarded the towel and gloves.  Shaved down the callouses, with a pedi-egg, slapped some Cornhuskers' lotion on and played 18 with my son afterward.  No issues with my hands. Getting off the tee, with a driver, well that's an issue I'm working through. :) Is 230-250 down the middle too much to ask?  Parred 4 holes on back 9. 7 iron, 5 wood, 3 wood, driver once and it was a lousy drive, but made 2 great shots and hit a 20 foot putt to save my ace.

Results: Last time I did this, I lost fat, gained muscle but ate like a horse.  From a conditioning perspective, it's more endurance than a sprint.  Heart rate isn't going to 200, but a nice steady cardio beat of 150.  Kind of like a 6 mile run except using weights. This time, through 6 days, I have watched my diet, not fasted, had a couple of drinks and am down 6 lbs. in 5 days. It can also stave off any days of bad eating like tonight.  It's my parents 50th anniversary today!!!!!   We're taking them out to dinner tonight to Davio's. I'm having a nice steak or veal chop. 

I've added a little twist to my diet. Apple Cider Vinegar. Yes, that gross stuff that smells like my college roommate Leo's feet.  There are many health benefits to using it. Even Hippocrates recommended it.  I found this detox recipe that I take once a day. 
12 oz tepid water
2 TBS of ACV
Half a lemon squeezed
1 TSP of Honey, put in first w/
1/4 TSP of Cinnamon. Mix these 2 first, cinnamon does not dilute in water. You'll be sorry if you don't
TSP of Ginger
Few sprinkles of cayenne pepper.

Down the hatch.  Done this for a week.  What I've noticed, is it reduces bloat. I'm not as hungry for sweets. For example, my wife had her piano recital last night and I had zero interest in the cake or punch.  It doesn't taste terrible.  It's not great, but tolerable.  My friend Jenna drinks it first thing in the morning before Orange Theory, and swears it gives her energy and we both agree about the bloat.  I'll stick to coffee and drink it 20 minutes before my first meal.

The Apple Cider Vinegar acts as an alkaline and reduces acid and inflammation.  DO NOT DRINK IT STRAIGHT.  Dilute 2 TBS in 12 -16 oz of water.  I got the lecture from my cousin about my esophagus and how I had an ulcer in it before.  I heeded his advice.  He thinks it's a placebo.  I think it helps.  Between that and magnesium oil, I've had get your popcorn out like lucid dreams.  Especially when I put the oil on the soles of my feet.

I finished the TGU challenge from last time, didn't notice any difference.  As promised, I'm here to share with you kettlebell exercises I find useless or painful for me to do.

1. Sots Press Hold 2 bells in the rack, squat, now press them while you're in the hole.  Kills my upper back. Seated press, great, clean and press great, Sots, avoid it.

2. Windmill  Good for the hamstrings.  Wreaks havoc on the sacrum in my lower back on the right side. I used to do double 70 windmills, now can't do a single 55 without pain. Shelved.

3. Bent Press  Not a fan.  Old time strongman maneuver.  Don't see the point of bending sideways, flaring my lat, and tucking/bendng under a weight.  Dave Whitley wrote a book on it.  One that won't be receiving royalties from me.  Don't see the point of it. 

4. Push Press I've done them to press an 88.  What I've realized is they don't improve your press because you don't stay tight in the core when you do them.  I'll do jerks instead, which, in my opinion, are the most UNDERRATED kettlebell exercise.  Do a long cycle of jerks with double 24's for sets of 10 and let me know how you feel.

5. High Pulls.  See push press.  A learning movement that precedes the snatch. I'll do swings or snatches thank you.  Easier on the hands than the snatch.

Time to do my swings!  Happy 150th Canada Day, Happy 4th! 

The Turkish Get Up is a Kettlebell Chain

I received an email from Scott Iardella, The Scientist of Strength, about a 21 day Turkish Get Up program that started up on May 1. I decided to sign up for it and am six days through it. The program is supposed to be a supplement to what your current workout is, and done at the end of your workout.  The volume is surprisingly low, but there is a caveat. Each get up must take about a minute to perform.  Which for me, is long.  I'm usually on a slow day, 30 seconds and efficient.  I see where he is coming from.  Focus on perfect movement and time under tension.  It should be hard, but not a struggle. Each sequence should improve as you graduate through the program.  I'm using a 70 to start, it's fatiguing yet achievable. The Easy Strength Street of the TGU. Getting better through practice.

But here is where I question it.  If one is efficient with all the steps of the movement, and you want to focus on time under tension, wouldn't you achieve the same effect by doing multiple repetitions on one side, before switching hands?  That way you would get more movement in, while achieving time under tension. Or, another way, do the get down first, then a get up.  What makes this hard is the bell never comes down to the floor when you alternate hands.  You're switching at the top of the movement and have to press or snatch it to the other side.

I am following the program as it is written out, but this is what is going through my head as I'm performing it. I like the Turkish Get Up, it's a great exercise that helps build shoulders and fluidity of movement. Making sure all your parts are moving in working order. Is it the Holy Grail of kettlebell exercises?  No, but I think it helps prepare your body to everything you can do with a kettlebell.  It's sequential parts are similar to a kettlebell chain, which I believe is diabolical in an underrated way.  The program is challenging. On day 5, it's 4 get ups on each side which takes about 9 -10 minutes.  I was glad it was over.  Maybe I'll move up to the 88 next week, now that will be a challenge on the way back down.  I'll probably stick with the 70.

The beauty of get ups is you can do them every day in low volume. The book Simple and Sinister has shown that. In my opinion, that program is great as a finisher or if you're really pressed for time.  Or if you just want a program where there is zero thinking involved and you're deloading from another program. But by no means is it the magic formula.  A good beginners program as well. I've done the 100 swing test with an 88 and lived to tell about it.  Those days are over.  Last time I did high volume one hand swings with a 70,  7 sets of 15, 15 L,R rest 30 seconds, my sacrum acted up an I had to take a few days off.  I'd rather snatch.

I purchased Geoff Neupert's More Kettlebell Muscle 3 years ago. It has 20 different 6-9 week programs using double kettlebells.  You can do the programs as a complex or as a chain. I have completed 19 of the 20 programs using at least two 45 lb. kettlebells.  The only one I cannot complete is The A & P.  The heavy days are too much and I'm not buying another 35 lb. bell just to do it.  Heart rate and breathing are never an issue for me. I panic when the grip starts to go or the posterior of my shoulders start fatiguing.  Don't believe me?  Try it, take double kettlebells, a pair you're confident with.  30 seconds of cleans, 30 seconds of high pulls, 30 seconds of double snatches, 30 seconds of swings.  That's about 12-14 cleans, and 17 high pulls.  So you're at 30 reps before you start the double snatch, and because the grip is tighter with a high pull, the grip is starting to go.  Finish with double swings.  I bet you can't get it above your hips.  The first round, maybe the second round can be completed. Put a stamp on the third.  Or the other heavy day. Front Squat x 30, Press x 30, Front Squat x 30, Push Press x 30.  That's about 10 squats, and holding the bells in the rack is pre-fatiguing the press.  Then, another 10 squats.  The push press will require a lot more leg drive.  Leave the puke bucket next to you.  I made it to the third week.  I was stressed out between sets with anxiety about how terrible the workout was. 

When you do complexes for time, it can be extremely challenging to keep good form and pace in the rep scheme.  When you're doing a complex for reps, instead of time, I feel the chain is harder.  With a complex, you can get into a rhythm and the fatigue is isolated.  6 cleans, 6 press, 6 squats, 6 double snatches.  A chain is done sequentially. 1 clean, 1 press, 1 squat, 1 double snatch, repeat 6 times. It seems SO easy, until you the 3rd or 4th sequence and fatigue is spreading through the body.  I finished the Wolf which is one of the squat programs. I used 55's on easy and medium day and 45's on heavy day because I wasn't going to take my head off doing double snatches in a chain.  Medium day is clean, squat, press, clean, squat x 5.  It's a 25 rep chain with 10 squats. I've never been so happy to release the bells out of a rack with a clean. The 4th or 5th press set off the lunk alarm down the street at Planet Fitness.

Like a Turkish Get Up, the sequence of a chain stresses the body. When doing ballistics, such as a swings or snatches, you're heart rate, rises. Do a few get ups, when finished, even though moving slower than a ballistic, how high your heart rate is as well as how tired you feel.  That is the beauty of a chain.

Currently I'm doing two complexes from the book. One is done as a chain, the other as a complex, alternating days and the get up program. 

Next post, I'll focus on the the benefits and limitations of kettlebells. 

Ringo Starr = Shemp

As a Beatleologist, who pretty much is stuck in Pepperland in regard to his musical tastes, I'm completely befuddled on my opinion of Richard Starkey.  I can say definitively, he was the luckiest man of the 1960's. Asked to replace Pete Best because, he was the best drummer in Liverpool and so ugly that John and Paul wouldn't lose out on the prettier birds to him. He became rich beyond his wildest dreams and traveled the world.  Not bad, for a sickly lad from lower class Liverpool.

He is the oldest Beatle and has outlived John and George.  I would love to hear what the two of them would put out today. In regard to Ringo, I think of him as a fifth rate Beatle.  He's not interesting at all, has never had anything interesting to say, yet parades around like he's royalty.  I'm sure Paul McCartney just must look at him with contempt thinking, "I still have to share a stage with this guy 50 years later?" His drummer today, Abe Laboriel, who has been with him for 15 years, is a way better drummer than Ringo.  Does Ringo say anything other than Peace and Love?  Ripping off John.  He won't sign autographs anymore, which is fine, but he announced it publicly.  Like he's that important?

As a drummer, he's decent and fills a role. Listen to some Beatle records and his percussion playing is pretty good in an understated way.  Ticket to Ride, the drums make the song, but the drum cadence was Paul's idea.  Listen to the Sgt Pepper album.  My takeaway from that album besides the overproduction, and it is WAY overproduced, is what makes it such a great listen is the drumming and bass playing.  Especially on A Day In The Life.  Key in and listen, it's terrific.  Complicated?  Probably not but extremely effective.  The single Rain, from 1966, same thing.

He can't sing a lick.  He's atonal, but it gets by in With A Little Help From My Friends.  As Billy Shears, the other three treat him as a cartoon character.  Which makes me question, do they see him as their mate? or as an object of amusement?  Urban myth has it that someone, one time asked John Lennon, "Is Ringo Starr the best drummer in the world?"  To which, he replied, "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles."  Now whether he said it or not, who knows, but in a way, they didn't see him as a peer.  For example, Paul, erasing Ringo's drum tracks and playing them himself on a number of his White Album tracks.  Paul playing drums on The Ballad of John and Yoko.

Now as talented as Paul is, he's not a better drummer than Ringo.  Listen to Band on the Run, Paul plays all the drums on that album. The drumming is good, but really simple.

Ringo is not a songwriter, he had one hugely successful album, Ringo, in 1972.  All the songs were written by the other three Beatles.  Photograph was written by George.  Look at his contribution to Abbey Road, Octopus' Garden?  Can you rip off Yellow Submarine any more?  All the money is in music publishing, and this guy hardly wrote any songs and was along for the ride. Pure and utter laziness.

I saw him in concert with his All Starr Band about 25 years ago. When I think about the concert today, I never think, "I saw a Beatle!"  I think, I saw Levon Helm and Rick Danko from the Band and heard them play The Weight.  Or Nils Lofgren and Clarence Clemons from the E Street Band.  All Ringo did was yell, "What's my name?" and hold up peace signs.  He was like a bad cruise ship performer.  It was a great concert in SPITE of him.

Look at his peers from the 1960's. John Bonham, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, was Ringo a better drummer than any of them?  Not in a million years. But again, he didn't need to be.

Watch interviews from the 1970's/1980's  George Harrison was fascinating. John Lennon, provocative, Paul McCartney, vapid, but put out some decent music.  Ringo, perpetually stoned and drunk, playing Caveman. His grunts in Caveman might be the most intellectual thing he has ever said.

The best analogy in regard to Ringo compared to the other Beatles, he's Shemp of the Three Stooges.  Just filled a role and was along for the ride.

                                  Paul must be thinking, just smile, this will be over soon enough.

The Minimum Effective Dose, A Myth?

 I was leaving a client meeting yesterday, driving back home and decided to call my buddy Tommy Rambo to see what's up.  Tommy is a Marine veteran whom I've known and use to work with for 15 years. Like a lot of guys as they approach 40, he wasn't exercising like he should and was hanging around 205 lbs. Finally, about 4 years ago, he got back into training in his basement.  At the time, I hadn't spoken to him in over a year and called to check in. This is what I get right at the start. "Hey, I'm on a fitness kick, I've bought some of those kettlebells.  You ever use them?  Great workout, I'm down to 190....feel great, having a scotch as we speak, let's hook up.... 

I went to his house, showed him some tips for his swing and clean form, we did a quick workout and then went out for scotch and prime rib.  Since then, Tommy has really gotten into bodyweight training.  He ordered Convict Conditioning, and was hooked. So hooked that he's done podcasts as a guest speaker!  Check him out: http://reddeltaproject.com/fit-after-40-w-tommy-rembiszewski/
 I'm not a podcast guy, but this is good stuff from a good man.

So as I was speaking to him, he was gushing how, instead of working out 6 days a week he's dropped it down to 5 and his workouts have been insane.  It's just funny how everything runs parallel, I told him, I've dropped my workout frequency to every other day, under 20 minutes and have maintained strength without the soreness. A lot of times people workout because, they LIKE it, it's a hobby.  But do your really need to?

Minimum Effective Dose: I first heard of this in the 4-Hour Body by famed lifehack/human laboratory Tim Ferriss.  The MED is simply the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome and anything BEYOND the MED is wasteful. As I said in my last blog, when water hits 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it doesn't need to get to 213 to boil.  It's not a myth.  It's the law of diminishing returns.  There comes a point where one begins hurting themselves instead of helping. If you like going balls to the wall 6 days a week, my advice would be: find another hobby.

Flippant last sentence aside, the workout Ferriss recommended was a High Intensity Interval Training workout where one set is taken to complete failure at 7 reps.  2 x a week, 5 second cadence lifting, 5 second cadence negative.  It's called Occam's Protocol and sounds like absolute torture if you use free weights. Here is a website with everything you need.  http://www.occamsprotocol.com/ 

According to the book and the website, if you eat correctly and take supplements, you will put on muscle.  The other 5 days of the week, recover and let the muscle tissue rebuild and recover.  As with all things lifting, 80% of your success depends on what you lift to your face and place in your pie hole.  HIIT goes back to Arthur Jones and his Nautilus weight machines from the 1970's. 

I did this style workout about 5 years ago with kettlebells, but didn't use the 5 second cadence for about a month.  I really liked it, but just never got back to it.  It went something like:

Workout 1
Military Press 2 x 5, 1 x 1 rep below failure
Rows, same
Front squats 2 x 5, 1 x 1 rep below failure
Double Snatch same.  (this exercise 2 below failure is better)

Workout 2
Floor Press Same as above
Rows 
Lunges (I remember having the shakes in my legs 2 hours later)
Double swings x 25

If you want to learn more about non-kettlebell related HIIT workouts, go to my friend/colleague Jenna's website. www.cardiocraving.com  

A lot of great information, especially for the fairer gender.

Back to my theory on the MED. As I was finishing the Long Haul program, the workouts, toward the end got so intense, that I figured I needed to get as much rest as I could to recover. So it's been over 6 weeks of this. After taking a few days off because of Sales Kickoff for my company in Denver, I started another More Kettlebell Muscle program called Lucky 13.  3 days a week, 8 rep press max for bells.  Chose 55's  I decided to do it in a chain style workout which in my opinion, are more torturous than complexes because they spread the fatigue around.

A chain means doing a sequence of movements and then repeat.  For example,
Double Swing x 1
Double Clean x 1
Reverse Lunge x 1L, 1R
See saw press x 1L, 1R 
Repeat this sequence 5 times.  That's 1 round.

It looks innocent until the second half of the chain.  Then the fatigue starts setting in. In week 1, the workouts are only about 10 minutes long, because there are only 3 rounds.  I did have to drop after the first round to 45's on heavy day, because my kettlebell nemesis, the 110 lb double snatch almost took my head off on the last link of the chain.  Which leads to the question, other than my ego being stroked, is it really going to make a difference if I use 55's vs 45's on heavy day? No.

What has resulted since I've started taking every other day off is a complete lack of soreness.  Aches and pains from doing the Rite of Passage are non-existent.  My workouts are strong.  I have been able to keep my diet in check.  My weight is steady in the 187 range. I haven't lost anything conditioning wise.  I ran 4 miles in Denver during a fun run and didn't stop.  First 1.5 was easy breezy then, the high altitude kicked in and I huffed and puffed and grinded to the finish.  I actually have gotten into the habit of enjoying the days off.  This week, I decided to do an low volume, workout with heavy weights during one of my days off. It was a mistake.  I felt tired and like complete trash when I woke up on a day when I had to do a Lucky 13 workout.  I waited until Noon to recover a little more.

Do I still get the itch to do more?  Yes, because it's something I like to do. It can be hard to walk away from the weights after 10 minutes. I still have something left in the tank, usually about 1/2-3/4 worth. Being winter and not all that warm out, I'm less likely to want to go for a run and I won't do sprints with road sand on the streets.  That's asking for a wipeout.  Today was a nice day, I finished easy day in about 12 minutes and took my Daisy for a 30 minute slow walk.  She's almost 12 and can't go running anymore so, we strolled and she kept looking at me with a smile and love that only a golden retriever is capable of giving. 

Will I go back to more days?  Yes, once the weather gets nicer, I'll be more active.  But any lifting more than 3-4 days isn't necessary for me at this time. At this juncture, I'm more about health and conditioning vs. pressing half my body weight.

Go Pats!