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.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Saturday, March 25, 2017
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.
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.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
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!
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!
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
2016 Review and Some Other Thoughts
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed it with family and friends. I'm sad to see 2016 end. I am grateful that when I look over my soon to be 49th year on the planet, this was one of the better ones. Top 10, closer to 5 than 10. Hopefully, 2017 we can keep the winning streak alive. It was a home run, personally, professionally and healthwise.
After recovering from a lower back injury in February and March, I hung up the barbells, quit the gym and just focused on kettlebells and running. It worked out well for me. I lost my winter weight, and set some PR's. I'm not doing 315 x 10 on the back squat like I was doing, but who gives a care? I finished a 10,000 swing program in 10 days. I snatched 160 reps with a 55 in 10 minutes. I completed a couple of More Kettlebell Muscle programs that I hadn't done as well as press an 80 lb. kettlebell for 3 reps on each side. Conditioning wise, I ran 8 miles one day and even now can do a 10k at a moment's notice. Pushed a sled with my near decade younger cousin without losing my breakfast. Achieved Simpler and Sinister with an 88 without training for it. (100 consecutive one hand swings and 5 getups each side in under 10 minutes).
Currently, I'm repeating a program I had done about 2.5 years ago, but didn't complete as written. The Long Haul from More Kettlebell Muscle. Using Double 45's, I just finished Week 7 of the 9 week program. It's a complex that has Light Day, 3 exercises 30 seconds each, Medium Day, 4 exercises 30 seconds each, Heavy Day 5 exercises, 30 seconds each. Work:Rest ratio 1:2 first 3 weeks (heavy day has 5 minutes between rounds), 1:1.5 Weeks 4-6, 1:1 Weeks 7-9. Before week 7, I was throwing in some strength work on my off days. Low volume/moderately heavy. That was until last week....
Does the Minimal Effective Dose work? Well, of course it does. Water boils at 212 F. It doesn't need to get to 213. Well, that was my thinking at the 7th week. You get stronger and grow on your rest days after the stimulus of the weight work. So I decided I needed all the rest I could get with the rest periods of the Long Haul being 1:1. Started on Medium Day. 4 rounds, 2 minutes a round, rest 2 minutes. Total workout time 14 minutes. I was cooked. Upper back/shoulders exhausted, because I had to do double snatches, then press, followed by front squats. Front squats and snatches fry your upper back. Decided, I'm doing the last 8 workouts with as much rest as possible.
Took the next day off, as a matter of fact, fasted for 36 hours. I got back into it this month after, ripping on it in my last post. On Christmas Eve, ate a big breakfast. 3 eggs with cheese, toast, kielbasia and an orange. Figured I needed as much nutrition as I could before the workout. Waited 90 minutes and did heavy day...
Top 3 HARDEST workouts that I was able to complete this year. Probably the hardest. It was miserable. When double snatches are an oasis movement, you know the suck factor is high. On paper it looked challenging but not over the top. 4 rounds, 2.5 minutes. The issue was only resting 2.5 minutes between rounds vs. 3:45 or 5 minutes. 17 minutes and 30 seconds of hell. My shoulders ached, my calves hurt (no idea why), my heart rate according to my pulse and stopwatch was 218 per minute. I was junk when I was done. After 5 minutes I sat and meditated for 20 minutes. I couldn't get up off the floor after that. Just wiped out. All I could think was, I have to do 5 rounds next week and 6 the week after. How am I going to do that?
In hindsight, fasting the day before probably affected my performance. Took Christmas off and had a prime rib, potato pancakes and creamed spinach dinner. at 8 PM. Yesterday, I did easy day and it was 180 degrees from heavy day. Finished it barely breaking a sweat. Heart rate was 180, but wasn't gasping for breath. Only 10:30 seconds. So we'll see how the Minimal Effective Dose fares.
December has been a kick ass month for me. As President-elect Trump says, "Think Big and Kick Ass." For those of you who didn't vote for him, and that's fine, look at your investments over the last 7 weeks and get back to me. 17 new record highs in the Dow.
I decided to go into the New Year flying on a health kick vs. trodding slowly like a sloth. Started fasting for 36-40 hours once a week, no alcohol, meditating for 15-20 minutes daily, usually after working out. I've eaten well, whatever I want as a matter of fact. The results are: workouts have been better than ever, weight in the 186-187 range (that's good fighting weight for me), usually around 193-194 and trending upward in December, feel sharp as a tack and locked in. I've weaved and bobbed through every social land mine there is. 100 person Christmas party, huge cocktail party, out to dinner three times, Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my family. A nice bottle of Macallan 12 year as a gift from my father in law. No booze. I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. Throw in the empty calories of alcohol and I gain. I'd rather eat than drink to tell you the truth. Lemon water on ice or soda is good with me.
Moderation in my opinion, doesn't work for my personality. I'm an all or nothing person. Abstinence is easier for me. Why? There is no negotiation. I'm fasting today. That means no food. My mind is made up, I'm done. Call it being a twin syndrome and having to share a womb. Abstinence gives you more room for error. Have you noticed most people don't finish things strong? They get to 80% and say, well that was a good effort, close enough. (Lean into the microphone, ) WRONG! You need to finish the job. Why fast only 24 hours, when the free fatty acids are highest in your blood at the 32 hour mark? You make it 24, suck it up for 4 more hours, go to bed and when you wake up, your body is in full fat burning mode. When you don't drink for a month, your skin glows from hydration, fat in your liver decreases by 15% and your cholesterol goes down 5-10%. Why blow those benefits and quit at 3 weeks?
Moderation is akin to picking at a scab. Abstinence is healing. It requires more mental toughness, but you don't go backwards. Abstinence is strength, moderation is a mind game. Constantly negotiating with yourself. Embrace the suck, start today, you'll get to your destination and goals faster.
I don't have or need to have a specific goal or any resolutions for Twenty Seventeen. Just keep on keeping on. Being grateful, continuing to enjoy the good life. A promotion and a nice President's Club trip with my wife are in the works professionally. Enjoying coaching my younger son's basketball and baseball teams and watching my older son, who was undefeated in tennis last year as a sophomore, play again this year. My younger son should start on number 2 doubles as an 8th grader, so I look forward to the challenge of running back and forth watching two matches.
The years fly by, try to make them all great. Happy New Year, God Bless You All.
After recovering from a lower back injury in February and March, I hung up the barbells, quit the gym and just focused on kettlebells and running. It worked out well for me. I lost my winter weight, and set some PR's. I'm not doing 315 x 10 on the back squat like I was doing, but who gives a care? I finished a 10,000 swing program in 10 days. I snatched 160 reps with a 55 in 10 minutes. I completed a couple of More Kettlebell Muscle programs that I hadn't done as well as press an 80 lb. kettlebell for 3 reps on each side. Conditioning wise, I ran 8 miles one day and even now can do a 10k at a moment's notice. Pushed a sled with my near decade younger cousin without losing my breakfast. Achieved Simpler and Sinister with an 88 without training for it. (100 consecutive one hand swings and 5 getups each side in under 10 minutes).
Currently, I'm repeating a program I had done about 2.5 years ago, but didn't complete as written. The Long Haul from More Kettlebell Muscle. Using Double 45's, I just finished Week 7 of the 9 week program. It's a complex that has Light Day, 3 exercises 30 seconds each, Medium Day, 4 exercises 30 seconds each, Heavy Day 5 exercises, 30 seconds each. Work:Rest ratio 1:2 first 3 weeks (heavy day has 5 minutes between rounds), 1:1.5 Weeks 4-6, 1:1 Weeks 7-9. Before week 7, I was throwing in some strength work on my off days. Low volume/moderately heavy. That was until last week....
Does the Minimal Effective Dose work? Well, of course it does. Water boils at 212 F. It doesn't need to get to 213. Well, that was my thinking at the 7th week. You get stronger and grow on your rest days after the stimulus of the weight work. So I decided I needed all the rest I could get with the rest periods of the Long Haul being 1:1. Started on Medium Day. 4 rounds, 2 minutes a round, rest 2 minutes. Total workout time 14 minutes. I was cooked. Upper back/shoulders exhausted, because I had to do double snatches, then press, followed by front squats. Front squats and snatches fry your upper back. Decided, I'm doing the last 8 workouts with as much rest as possible.
Took the next day off, as a matter of fact, fasted for 36 hours. I got back into it this month after, ripping on it in my last post. On Christmas Eve, ate a big breakfast. 3 eggs with cheese, toast, kielbasia and an orange. Figured I needed as much nutrition as I could before the workout. Waited 90 minutes and did heavy day...
Top 3 HARDEST workouts that I was able to complete this year. Probably the hardest. It was miserable. When double snatches are an oasis movement, you know the suck factor is high. On paper it looked challenging but not over the top. 4 rounds, 2.5 minutes. The issue was only resting 2.5 minutes between rounds vs. 3:45 or 5 minutes. 17 minutes and 30 seconds of hell. My shoulders ached, my calves hurt (no idea why), my heart rate according to my pulse and stopwatch was 218 per minute. I was junk when I was done. After 5 minutes I sat and meditated for 20 minutes. I couldn't get up off the floor after that. Just wiped out. All I could think was, I have to do 5 rounds next week and 6 the week after. How am I going to do that?
In hindsight, fasting the day before probably affected my performance. Took Christmas off and had a prime rib, potato pancakes and creamed spinach dinner. at 8 PM. Yesterday, I did easy day and it was 180 degrees from heavy day. Finished it barely breaking a sweat. Heart rate was 180, but wasn't gasping for breath. Only 10:30 seconds. So we'll see how the Minimal Effective Dose fares.
December has been a kick ass month for me. As President-elect Trump says, "Think Big and Kick Ass." For those of you who didn't vote for him, and that's fine, look at your investments over the last 7 weeks and get back to me. 17 new record highs in the Dow.
I decided to go into the New Year flying on a health kick vs. trodding slowly like a sloth. Started fasting for 36-40 hours once a week, no alcohol, meditating for 15-20 minutes daily, usually after working out. I've eaten well, whatever I want as a matter of fact. The results are: workouts have been better than ever, weight in the 186-187 range (that's good fighting weight for me), usually around 193-194 and trending upward in December, feel sharp as a tack and locked in. I've weaved and bobbed through every social land mine there is. 100 person Christmas party, huge cocktail party, out to dinner three times, Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my family. A nice bottle of Macallan 12 year as a gift from my father in law. No booze. I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. Throw in the empty calories of alcohol and I gain. I'd rather eat than drink to tell you the truth. Lemon water on ice or soda is good with me.
Moderation in my opinion, doesn't work for my personality. I'm an all or nothing person. Abstinence is easier for me. Why? There is no negotiation. I'm fasting today. That means no food. My mind is made up, I'm done. Call it being a twin syndrome and having to share a womb. Abstinence gives you more room for error. Have you noticed most people don't finish things strong? They get to 80% and say, well that was a good effort, close enough. (Lean into the microphone, ) WRONG! You need to finish the job. Why fast only 24 hours, when the free fatty acids are highest in your blood at the 32 hour mark? You make it 24, suck it up for 4 more hours, go to bed and when you wake up, your body is in full fat burning mode. When you don't drink for a month, your skin glows from hydration, fat in your liver decreases by 15% and your cholesterol goes down 5-10%. Why blow those benefits and quit at 3 weeks?
Moderation is akin to picking at a scab. Abstinence is healing. It requires more mental toughness, but you don't go backwards. Abstinence is strength, moderation is a mind game. Constantly negotiating with yourself. Embrace the suck, start today, you'll get to your destination and goals faster.
I don't have or need to have a specific goal or any resolutions for Twenty Seventeen. Just keep on keeping on. Being grateful, continuing to enjoy the good life. A promotion and a nice President's Club trip with my wife are in the works professionally. Enjoying coaching my younger son's basketball and baseball teams and watching my older son, who was undefeated in tennis last year as a sophomore, play again this year. My younger son should start on number 2 doubles as an 8th grader, so I look forward to the challenge of running back and forth watching two matches.
The years fly by, try to make them all great. Happy New Year, God Bless You All.
Friday, November 25, 2016
RIP, ROP
Things are going so well, how can I screw this up? Not the case here. So I quit doing the Rite of Passage. Why, one would ask? I'm making gains, seeing improvement it doesn't seem to make sense. Well, it's simple and common for a lot of people who do this workout. The volume of cleaning and pressing with a 32kg kettlebell or higher, leads to getting knicked up. And that's what was happening to me. My elbow/forearm tendons starting getting sore. After heavy day, the back of my left shoulder in the tendons, not skeletal part, got sore. I took a week off from all exercise, first day back doing easy day, sore. immediately in the same two spots.
My last heavy day, for all my rungs and ladders, I only cleaned it once and then pressed out the reps. I tried to adjust, but couldn't get it comfortable. Still there is a lot to like from the gains. However, I think it is a 4-6 week workout than you have to move on. Snatches, did 4 minutes straight without putting the bell down. Did 75 reps, wasn't testing, took my time, tried to get used to the endurance vs. cranking out reps.
The week off was good. I had to travel to Austin, TX for work for 3 days, and said, I'm not packing any workout clothes. I take 4 weeks off a year. If I don't, I get injured. So now for 3 days a week, I'm doing the Long Haul from the More Kettlebell Muscle book. Using 45's, it's basically a 9 week program, where you do sets of a double kettlebell complex. Easy day is 90 seconds broken up into 3 exercises, 30 seconds each all the way to heavy day 150 seconds. It's a program I've done before.
I'm two weeks through it. The good news, conditioning wise, I pass in flying colors. First week, it was 3 sets, rest 2x as long as the set. No problem. Second week, add a set. so 4 sets total. The 4th set on heavy day, the grip on my left hand was screaming. It went clean, squat, press, snatch, swing. The cleans were a grip fryer, 30 seconds is about 13 reps of cleans. The squats 10 reps, are an oasis on the grip, however, it fatigues the back of the shoulders. Then the presses first 3 sets about 9 reps, last set 7. Bring to the rack, breath deep 3 times, up, back down repeat. Now the panic starts to set in, the grip is weakening, the shoulders are tired and what's next? Oh goodie gum drops, double snatches. 9 the first 3 sets, 7 the last round. Swing the bells outside the legs, snap the hips keep the bells close, punch at the top, bring to the rack, try to relax breathing repeat. Finally double swings, at this point that swing that went to the chest the first three rounds, is getting to about the hips, because I'm hanging on to the bells for dear life.
Put bells down, heart rate is 180, breathing heavy but not gasping. We'll see how 5 sets go next time around. For the record, my shoulder and elbow are significantly better. ROP easy and medium day, awesome, heavy day, too much volume for this old coot.
The other three days I've been tinkering around with the heavy bells. One day, did sets of presses/squats/rows with the double 70's, then did some bottoms up presses. Was able to get 3 reps each arm with the 45. Next time, I did a complex of 10 sets of 5 press/squat/rows with the 55's. Then did 10 sets of 5 with 88's of deadlifts and double swings outside the knees.
Thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday. I did try to head the damage off at the pass yesterday, don't know if I succeeded or failed. Went out Wednesday night for drinks and appetizers with my wife. Thursday morning, did easy day of the Long Haul. Took 15 minutes. Rested for 10 and debated doing road work. Jog or sprints? Chose the sprints and somehow lived to tell about it. First 3 sprints were about 75 yards to the first mailbox on the adjacent street to my house. Moderate incline. Next 3 were 100 yards to the second mailbox, however the last 25 yards the incline is steeper. Hamstrings start to pump. Next 3 sprints are from the first mailbox to another mailbox. About 75 yards, but steeper than the other two sprints. Finally one sprint to the top of the hill from the first mailbox, about 100 yards, steep, sprint form gone to hell trying to drag my butt to the top. Walking home, huffing and puffing wondering if a heart attack was going to ensue. I pass by my neighbor's house, he walks outside with amusement, already drinking a mimosa to wish me a happy holiday and asks me what I'm doing to myself. Now it's 34 degrees out, no wind, and I'm in a hoddie, and t-shirt. My diaphragm is burning, I decide to take a cold shower for recovery. I come out after 7 minutes sweating still on my forehead.
Had 3 drinks and two helpings of everything at my brother's house and fell asleep for 90 minutes on the couch. This was after 9 hours of sleep the previous night. Going to put all those calories to good use today. My decision is whether to do it before or after basketball practice at 11. I'm coaching an 8th grade team. One of my favorite activities. I don't do Black Friday. My idea of Black Friday is to go on Amazon. Was going to buy a 80 lbs. bell, but now that I've quit the Rite of Passage, no need for that!
Hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving!
My last heavy day, for all my rungs and ladders, I only cleaned it once and then pressed out the reps. I tried to adjust, but couldn't get it comfortable. Still there is a lot to like from the gains. However, I think it is a 4-6 week workout than you have to move on. Snatches, did 4 minutes straight without putting the bell down. Did 75 reps, wasn't testing, took my time, tried to get used to the endurance vs. cranking out reps.
The week off was good. I had to travel to Austin, TX for work for 3 days, and said, I'm not packing any workout clothes. I take 4 weeks off a year. If I don't, I get injured. So now for 3 days a week, I'm doing the Long Haul from the More Kettlebell Muscle book. Using 45's, it's basically a 9 week program, where you do sets of a double kettlebell complex. Easy day is 90 seconds broken up into 3 exercises, 30 seconds each all the way to heavy day 150 seconds. It's a program I've done before.
I'm two weeks through it. The good news, conditioning wise, I pass in flying colors. First week, it was 3 sets, rest 2x as long as the set. No problem. Second week, add a set. so 4 sets total. The 4th set on heavy day, the grip on my left hand was screaming. It went clean, squat, press, snatch, swing. The cleans were a grip fryer, 30 seconds is about 13 reps of cleans. The squats 10 reps, are an oasis on the grip, however, it fatigues the back of the shoulders. Then the presses first 3 sets about 9 reps, last set 7. Bring to the rack, breath deep 3 times, up, back down repeat. Now the panic starts to set in, the grip is weakening, the shoulders are tired and what's next? Oh goodie gum drops, double snatches. 9 the first 3 sets, 7 the last round. Swing the bells outside the legs, snap the hips keep the bells close, punch at the top, bring to the rack, try to relax breathing repeat. Finally double swings, at this point that swing that went to the chest the first three rounds, is getting to about the hips, because I'm hanging on to the bells for dear life.
Put bells down, heart rate is 180, breathing heavy but not gasping. We'll see how 5 sets go next time around. For the record, my shoulder and elbow are significantly better. ROP easy and medium day, awesome, heavy day, too much volume for this old coot.
The other three days I've been tinkering around with the heavy bells. One day, did sets of presses/squats/rows with the double 70's, then did some bottoms up presses. Was able to get 3 reps each arm with the 45. Next time, I did a complex of 10 sets of 5 press/squat/rows with the 55's. Then did 10 sets of 5 with 88's of deadlifts and double swings outside the knees.
Thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday. I did try to head the damage off at the pass yesterday, don't know if I succeeded or failed. Went out Wednesday night for drinks and appetizers with my wife. Thursday morning, did easy day of the Long Haul. Took 15 minutes. Rested for 10 and debated doing road work. Jog or sprints? Chose the sprints and somehow lived to tell about it. First 3 sprints were about 75 yards to the first mailbox on the adjacent street to my house. Moderate incline. Next 3 were 100 yards to the second mailbox, however the last 25 yards the incline is steeper. Hamstrings start to pump. Next 3 sprints are from the first mailbox to another mailbox. About 75 yards, but steeper than the other two sprints. Finally one sprint to the top of the hill from the first mailbox, about 100 yards, steep, sprint form gone to hell trying to drag my butt to the top. Walking home, huffing and puffing wondering if a heart attack was going to ensue. I pass by my neighbor's house, he walks outside with amusement, already drinking a mimosa to wish me a happy holiday and asks me what I'm doing to myself. Now it's 34 degrees out, no wind, and I'm in a hoddie, and t-shirt. My diaphragm is burning, I decide to take a cold shower for recovery. I come out after 7 minutes sweating still on my forehead.
Had 3 drinks and two helpings of everything at my brother's house and fell asleep for 90 minutes on the couch. This was after 9 hours of sleep the previous night. Going to put all those calories to good use today. My decision is whether to do it before or after basketball practice at 11. I'm coaching an 8th grade team. One of my favorite activities. I don't do Black Friday. My idea of Black Friday is to go on Amazon. Was going to buy a 80 lbs. bell, but now that I've quit the Rite of Passage, no need for that!
Hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Rite of Passage = Results
Still sticking with the Rite of Passage. My upper back pull kept me out two days. Came back like a house of fire. On the pressing side, instead of cleaning before each press, been cleaning once and then doing the presses. Much easier on the hands. Been able to get all the reps. So ready for the 36 kg bell. The 32 feels like a toy in my hands.
For easy day the following Sunday, I had rolled a 10 for snatches. Thought, "good day for a test." So instead of pressing first I did my snatches with a 25 kg/55 lb. bell. Chalked everything so much, my workout room looked like a winter wonderland. Put gloves on, so as not to worry about tearing up my hands or the perspiration from using enameled handled bells. Did 155 reps, a solid effort. It wasn't that terrible. Was I tired at the end?, sure, but not laying on the floor catching my breath. Started off doing 4 sets of 10 before putting the bell down, Toward the end was putting the bell down every 10 reps which slowed the number down. Was quite pleased. Today I followed that up doing 95 reps in 6 minutes which is a 162 rep pace. On an variety day Sunday, did 10 sets of 10 left, right with a minute rest in between sets. I just need to be careful of my elbows as to not get tendonitis.
After the 10 minute test, I did my presses and on the last ladder, just repped out. Did 6 on each side with a 32/70.
My numbers have been also improving on my swings with an 88. 120 swings in 5 minutes, 176 in 8 minutes. Two hand style.
Diet has been good, hanging in the 188 range, wouldn't mind dropping down to 185 for Thanksgiving. Ate Halloween candy too. My favorites, Snickers, $100,000 bar, Twix, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat. The candy bar has shrunk SO much.
Have a 3 day hiccup coming up next week, need to travel to Austin for work so no kettlebell. I'll throw some running in just to move some calories around. Ran yesterday and today. It had been 3 weeks since I last jogged, and running up the hills in my neighborhood caused my diaphragm to scream. Legs felt great, didn't stop. Today, felt strong. Going to miss election day, but that's okay, I already performed my civic duty. If my side loses, I'll have plenty of beer and brisket to drown my sorrows.
For easy day the following Sunday, I had rolled a 10 for snatches. Thought, "good day for a test." So instead of pressing first I did my snatches with a 25 kg/55 lb. bell. Chalked everything so much, my workout room looked like a winter wonderland. Put gloves on, so as not to worry about tearing up my hands or the perspiration from using enameled handled bells. Did 155 reps, a solid effort. It wasn't that terrible. Was I tired at the end?, sure, but not laying on the floor catching my breath. Started off doing 4 sets of 10 before putting the bell down, Toward the end was putting the bell down every 10 reps which slowed the number down. Was quite pleased. Today I followed that up doing 95 reps in 6 minutes which is a 162 rep pace. On an variety day Sunday, did 10 sets of 10 left, right with a minute rest in between sets. I just need to be careful of my elbows as to not get tendonitis.
After the 10 minute test, I did my presses and on the last ladder, just repped out. Did 6 on each side with a 32/70.
My numbers have been also improving on my swings with an 88. 120 swings in 5 minutes, 176 in 8 minutes. Two hand style.
Diet has been good, hanging in the 188 range, wouldn't mind dropping down to 185 for Thanksgiving. Ate Halloween candy too. My favorites, Snickers, $100,000 bar, Twix, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat. The candy bar has shrunk SO much.
Have a 3 day hiccup coming up next week, need to travel to Austin for work so no kettlebell. I'll throw some running in just to move some calories around. Ran yesterday and today. It had been 3 weeks since I last jogged, and running up the hills in my neighborhood caused my diaphragm to scream. Legs felt great, didn't stop. Today, felt strong. Going to miss election day, but that's okay, I already performed my civic duty. If my side loses, I'll have plenty of beer and brisket to drown my sorrows.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Rite of Passage Week 3 Three PR's then Injury
Week 3 of the Rite of Passage was one of the best weeks of training I've had in a while. Started on Friday with a Medium Day of presses. Got all the reps, rolled the dice for an 8. Banged out 166 swings with the 88. All time best. Saturday messed around with some squats and swings with a 70 for variety day. 50 squats, 100 swings. Sunday Easy Day of Presses, no sweat. Rolled a 9 for snatches.
Yes, I used gloves, chalked them up. Did sets of 10 on each side put the bell down for 20 seconds do it again. Did 131 in 9 minutes. Again, not even breathing that heavy. Grip was surprisingly strong. form excellent. Monday I did hill sprints. 10 of them with 4 different routes. Tuesday, my legs ached. On Tuesday I did heavy day later in the day at 6 PM. Had a business trip in Hartford and almost held off until Wednesday. Glad I didn't. The bell was flying up on my presses. Did 5 ladders in 55 minutes. Rolled another 8, this time did 176 swings with the 88 in 8 minutes. No grip issues at all.
Took Wednesday off to rest, Thursday was a variety day. Did 5 sets of backup presses with the 88. Backup means, start pressing the bell and then use your off hand to lightly assist. Once I got the bell in motion, I took my hand off the bell and did a 5 second descent back to the rack. Did about 8 reps total on each side. My swings have been going so well, I decided to do the Simple and Sinister test. I have never followed the program, but in order to reach "Simple," men must achieve 100 one hand swings in a row switching hands every 10 reps and then doing 5 Turkish Getups on each side in 10 minutes with a 70 lb. bell. Accomplished that a long time ago. I decided to try with the 88. I finished the swings in 2:47. My legs were complete jello and my heart rate was 186. Rested 5 minutes, banged out the getups in 7:30. The "Sinister" goal is 106 lbs. Never getting there, never buying the bell. I felt like I was in control of the 88, not the other way around.
Feeling pretty proud of myself, I started week 4 of medium day yesterday. Did my rows first with the 88, started my pressing, on rung 4, on the left side. pop. Pulled muscle between my shoulder blades, just to the left of my spine. Stretched out, started ladder 2, twinged a little more. Put the bell down, popped 2 aleve and that was all she wrote. Today, it feels a lot better, but not 100% Would love to go running or sprinting but we had 4 inches of rain last night, it's raining now with gust to 40 MPH. Not happening, just will rest up, probably until Monday.
Same thing happened last year. I did back squats, 10 reps at 315, two days later, back injury. Old age has a way of fighting back. Not worried, I won't lose strength, I basically own the 70.
Yes, I used gloves, chalked them up. Did sets of 10 on each side put the bell down for 20 seconds do it again. Did 131 in 9 minutes. Again, not even breathing that heavy. Grip was surprisingly strong. form excellent. Monday I did hill sprints. 10 of them with 4 different routes. Tuesday, my legs ached. On Tuesday I did heavy day later in the day at 6 PM. Had a business trip in Hartford and almost held off until Wednesday. Glad I didn't. The bell was flying up on my presses. Did 5 ladders in 55 minutes. Rolled another 8, this time did 176 swings with the 88 in 8 minutes. No grip issues at all.
Took Wednesday off to rest, Thursday was a variety day. Did 5 sets of backup presses with the 88. Backup means, start pressing the bell and then use your off hand to lightly assist. Once I got the bell in motion, I took my hand off the bell and did a 5 second descent back to the rack. Did about 8 reps total on each side. My swings have been going so well, I decided to do the Simple and Sinister test. I have never followed the program, but in order to reach "Simple," men must achieve 100 one hand swings in a row switching hands every 10 reps and then doing 5 Turkish Getups on each side in 10 minutes with a 70 lb. bell. Accomplished that a long time ago. I decided to try with the 88. I finished the swings in 2:47. My legs were complete jello and my heart rate was 186. Rested 5 minutes, banged out the getups in 7:30. The "Sinister" goal is 106 lbs. Never getting there, never buying the bell. I felt like I was in control of the 88, not the other way around.
Feeling pretty proud of myself, I started week 4 of medium day yesterday. Did my rows first with the 88, started my pressing, on rung 4, on the left side. pop. Pulled muscle between my shoulder blades, just to the left of my spine. Stretched out, started ladder 2, twinged a little more. Put the bell down, popped 2 aleve and that was all she wrote. Today, it feels a lot better, but not 100% Would love to go running or sprinting but we had 4 inches of rain last night, it's raining now with gust to 40 MPH. Not happening, just will rest up, probably until Monday.
Same thing happened last year. I did back squats, 10 reps at 315, two days later, back injury. Old age has a way of fighting back. Not worried, I won't lose strength, I basically own the 70.
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