Well it took me 6 weeks, but the Giant 1.1 program is in the books. I did use the double 55's, but adjustments had to be made. First, the timer. I set it for 20 minutes instead of 30. Secondly, I did not chase sets. If I only did 5 sets, good enough. Third, I went on vacation for 8 days and did not have access to kettlebells. I finally played my autoregulation card. There is some real magic in 5 sets of 6-8. It was hard and yes, I'm going to run 1.2. The 9 rep days aren't going to be pretty, but I ran it with 45's so I know what I'm getting into. Just going to go by feel, because 6 months from now, am I really going to care if I only got 45 reps vs 54? The program was a success and didn't get injured.
Just after my last post, I finished the Ballistic Beatdown program. One of my LEAST favorite from the More Kettlebell Muscle/Kettlebell Hard book. I dislike doing long sets of high pulls. They are a grip killer and doing 10, followed by 10 double snatches is just not safe. Especially for people who have just started using double kettlebells. Days 2 and 3 are not fun in weeks 5 and 6. Don't recommend.
I will say the benefit of Ballistic Beatdown is the conditioning aspect, but I think there are better routes to take. I was in Florida and running 5-6 miles at a clip. Flat land and warm, but not hot weather. Got 3 rounds of golf in and hit the ball great. A good way to finish the season.
75 Hard is a program designed by Andy Frisella. It's not a physical transformation challenge. It's a "ironman" for the brain. I have not finished it. I have run it for 9 days twice and failed. I chose to fail. When you fail, back to day 1. Cue up the Price is Right, loss music....wha whu whu wa WAHHHHHHHH.
Here are the rules:
For 75 days,
1. Progress photo once a day.
2. No alcohol
3. Follow a diet. NO junk food or cheat meals
4. Two workouts per day, one MUST be outdoors 45 minutes each
5. Read 10 pages of a self development book
6. Drink one gallon of water a day.
No compromises, no excuses.
Sounds easy? Let's evaluate:
Progress photo
I can't believe people fail on this. Wake up, hit the head, wash your hands, grab your phone, shoot. No one needs to see it. We all look our age 1st thing. Laugh, delete. Why do this? So you can measure progress, but more importantly, it's about the details. Simple tasks matter.
No alcohol
This one can be tough for a lot of people. I have failed because I went to my friend's new restaurant and bar and had a couple of beers. A great habit to be in, and your workouts are incredible. I did drink alcohol down in Florida because I was on vacation. It's a choice. Is having that beer going to help you attain your goals? No. Pretty black and white. After 14 days, this gets easy. My suggestion would be start by designating 1 day a week to drink for about 3-4 weeks. No alcohol on the other 6 days to get out of the habit.
Diet
This is the hardest one for everyone. You can pick ANY diet you want. This could be as simple as eating 3 square meals a day. No junk food. I have read blogs and opinions from "nutritionists" that says it can cause an unhealthy relationship with food. I call HORSE MANURE. Eat healthy, what's unhealthy about eating clean and not drinking? I picked one meal a day twice a week, which is basically fasting for 22-23 hours. Again, is eating potato chips helping me reach my goals? Eat, just make sure it's good food.
Two Workouts, 45 minutes each
This one can be a challenge especially with the weather getting cold and unpredictable up here in the northeast. First the good news, I have an 18 month old golden retriever who is the apple of my eye and she needs exercise. A 3 mile walk is a win/win. Indoors, piece of cake I have kettlebells and after the Giant, can do some ab work, farmer carries and 5 x 5 squats and rows.
Why outdoors? Conditions aren't always perfect in life. These workouts also can't be run back to back. Two workouts is a little extreme. I would say if you need to recover. yoga for one session and a walk for another. Last week, I hit tennis balls to my dog, (I live in the center of a cul-de-sac) and did some kettlebell swings, squats and carries in my driveway for 45 minutes. Be creative.
Read 10 pages of a self improvement book
A great habit to practice instead of scrolling your phone over morning coffee. I work for a habit change company, so I'm reading Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg to improve my craft.
Habits = Motivation + Ability + Prompt. What people don't realize is motivation AKA willpower is finite. Ability and prompt aren't To be successful at making good habits, focus on your ability and what prompts you.
Drink a gallon of water a day.
Ok, this is extreme. Especially for women. 128 oz. is a LOT of water. Yes you will be hydrated. But if you're drinking 3 quarts which should be your minimum and are peeing clear, that should be good enough. Substituting water for PM coffee or wine/beer is the theory behind it. Here is the issue: The outdoor workout. There is nothing worse than trudging home the last 15 minutes when your bladder is about to explode, OR drinking it all at night and waking up every 2 hours. Drink as much as you can early and be strategic about your outdoor workout. This is the worst step of the program, and when I do it, I drink the gallon.
I think this is genius if you understand the psychology behind it. It can be extreme. It is NOT a check the tasks off. The tasks should be done with INTENT. Everyone compromises with themselves in life. This program teaches you not to compromise, to be your best even on days you don't feel it. It teaches you in business or life that conditions aren't always going to be perfect, but you do the right thing anyway. Sandy Koufax one time said he only had his best pitching stuff 20% of the time. But look at his numbers, he performed without it.
I'm 0 for 2 so far. However I have lost about 6 lb-7 lb. from vacation and did power through a 39 hour fast Monday vs. fasting twice.
Even if you're not running 75 Hard, and ran this below, it's a really good blueprint for health and discipline.
1. Eat a healthy diet
2. No/limited alcohol 1 day a week limit 3 units
3. Drink 3 quarts of water
4. Read a chapter, self improvement, non-fiction, Bible.
5. One workout one walk
6. Take a photo once a week.
Don't count the days. Just win today.
For the most of this blog, I DO NOT provide progress reports. I don't write about it unless I finish it. I really don't like when people post on forums, and blogs how after 30 days how they're life has changed, yet fail 3 days later and never complete the program.
No one wants to see progress photos of a soon to be 53 year old man with bed head anyway.
Happy Thanksgiving
