kettlebellguy

Archive for April, 2008

It’s really hard for me to write down these words but I think I have learned that I have done something I never thought possible. I have over trained.

I am feeling so much better now that I have changed my morning workouts to eliminate any overhead work and have given myself permission to only workout once a day.

With the intense Kettlebell classes I have been taking and trying to keep up my already heavy schedule I was finding that I was not able to move, had no energy for my workouts, was not sleeping and my flustration level was mounting day by day.

I want to prove each day that I am strong and growing but I have to learn that rest and moderation have to be part of the formula.

I had a nice workout this morning, being active for an hour and 15 minutes. Tomorrow morning I am going to do a very lite workout, just core work, my shoulder flyes, elbow exercises and a nice cardio and stretching. Hopefully this will help my have more energy for tomorrow nights KB class.

Here is what I did this morning.

WORKOUT 2

I worked my shoulder flyes into this circuit and followed up with elbow exercises and stretching.

One of the old guys at the gym, actually someone I consider a mentor, having worked for him some 35 years ago when I was but a child, and my advisor, since he is my lawyer offered to teach me his 22 minute stretching routine. He learned it years ago when the gym had a morning stretching class. Once spinning started at the gym they stopped the stretching class, but he has continued on by himself for many, many years. I am going to make a point within the next couple of days to get my schedule matched with his and have him teach me the routine.

I made a video about people that worry they will grow too much muscle if they go to the gym. All the comments I received on this agreed with me and thanked me for talking about this. The responses were interesting.

Feeling a bit better now that I have backed down my morning workouts. Maybe I was doing too much.

Did a good workout Monday morning, consisting of the following:

Circuit – Repeat for 6 total sets with 1:20 minute rest between sets

Narrow Grip Lat Pulldowns ( machine # 16 )
180 lbs. – 12

I worked my shoulder flyes into the circuit and kept the 1:20 mintue rest between sets. Dave put this up to 6 sets. Did my elbow exercises following the circuit and a good stretching.

Dave gave me the option of no workout on Tuesday morning which I took advantage of this morning. I was up most of the night for work related issues.

Another killer KB class tonight. Sean Symons called my cell phone while I was on the way to the class so that was a nice diversion. I was not the start performer tonight. In fact, I got the least number of reps done in our EDT session but it really did not bother me. I worked my ass off and I claim the senior discount for tonight. Here is what we did tonight.

Activation
Single Leg Dead Reach
Eqyptian
Prisoner Squats with a jump
Med Ball Orbits while walking
Med Ball lunges and twists
Alternate Belly Slaps

Walks
Lateral Band with KB behind head
2 KB Alternate Press Walks
Farmers Walk
Rack Walk
Waiters Walk

Lift Practice
Sling Shots
Triceps Extentions
Ring Rows and pushups (4 X 12) While one does ring rows everyone else does pushups

EDT
16KG Snatches and Push Ups, 6 per set for 10 minutes
I got 13 done

2 minute rest

16KG Rack Squat and Row, 6 per set for 5 minutes
I got 7 done

Core
McGill Crunches
Sideups
Rotational Push UP
Plank with Reach
(I simply cannot handle these last two. My right shoulder will not take it. I have to modify this to get it done)

I was completly wasted by the time this was done. Not quite as bad as last Thursday, but really bad. I wonder how I will feel in the morning.

Wow, it’s getting bad. No update since Wednesday. This is not good. Along with losing the ability to make youTube videos or make comments on others videos I now can’t seem to update my own blog.

I did talk to Dave and we are taking a different approach to my workouts while I am taking the Tuesday and Thursday advanced KB classes. This current session lasts for two more weeks. We have taken out all the presses, rows, snatches, cleans, and triceps work from the morning workouts and gone down to three morning workouts.

I am going to do the workouts shown below on Mon, Wed and Fri. On Tues and Thursday I am going to do just my shoulder flyes, elbow exercises and a good cardio, along with some other special non weight bearing movements that I want to try out. It’s important for me to keep going to the gym each morning.

My hope in doing this is that I get a bit more recovery from the intense Tuesday and Thursday classes. I am having to really balance the intensity of the classes and being able to do something during the mornings. It’s clear that I cannot continue to support what I was doing in the mornings with the evening classes.

We will see how this goes for the next week. I am hopeful that this strikes a good balance.

Core Circuit – Repeat 3 times with no rest

Supermans (lifting opposite arm and leg simultaneously) – 10 each side

UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN – 5-10 REPS (IN PLANK POSITION ON STABILITY BALL WITH HANDS APART, PUT ONE HAND ON BALL, THEN OTHER AND PUSH UP INTO TOP OF PUSH UP POSITION, THEN DROP BACK DOWN ONTO FOREARMS ON BALL ONE AT A TIME)

V-Sit Med Ball Rotations 8lb. Med Ball – 20 reps (sit with knees slightly bent and feet off ground. Upper body is at v-angle to lower body with shoulders and back off ground, hence, the V-Sit. Rotate the med ball side to side, touching the ground next to your hips.

Leg Lifts – 10 reps (Lie on your back with your hands beneath your low back. Keep your legs straight and lift legs from 6 to 12 inches off the ground up and down.)

Rear Shoulder Cable Flyes at Alternating Angles .
15 – 20 lbs. – 4 sets at 12 reps. No rest between sides.

WORKOUT 1

Kettlebell Figure 8’s 28kg – 15 each
Assisted Neutral Grip Pullups #14 – 11 reps

We will go back to a heavier morning schedule in two weeks.

The other issue I have been fighting is lack of sleep. I can fall asleep in about 5 minutes when I first go to bed but 2-3 hours later I am up for a pee and then I toss and turn with my back. This really messes up getting a full night sleep.

My 6mo checkup with the Doc is coming in 2 weeks. Maybe he can provide some med that might help. The answer is not to just stop working out. I have always had back issues. Sometimes are just worse than others. Perhaps a med can help me thought the really bad times. Maybe I need a sleeping pill. I need to do something, that’s for sure.

Oh, and turning 35 has not been that bad. I think I have many people confused as to how old I actually am. That’s ok. Confusion is good for the soul. I talk about being 35 below.

Very little sleep last night. My body was racked with pain from the Kettlebell class. Usually you don’t hurt until the day after, I was dying.

I made it up and got the gym but was dragging.

Only did 3 sets of swings and figure 8′s. It did not matter what I said to myself, I just did not have anything left to do more. I did do a good job on my shoulder flyes and elbow exercises and stretching.

I think I will talk to Dave and start coming up with very light workouts for Wednesdays and Fridays. The Kettlebell Class is just to intense for me to recover by the next morning.

Wednesday
Core Circuit – same as workout 1
Circuit – Repeat for 7 total sets (only completed 3 sets)
1-Hand Kettlebell Swings 32kg – 23 reps each
Kettlebell Figure 8’s 28kg – 15 each

It was a really hard day at work. I started on the phone before 8A and finally got of the phone after 8P. One bright spot was a call from Rob.

Excellent sleep last night and at the gym a bit after 5A.

Had a good workout. Did not take any rest just kept going, working my shoulder flyes into the circuit and then catching my elbow exercises after the circuit.

Tuesday
Core Circuit – Repeat 3 times with no rest, 15 – 20 lb – 12 each x 4 SH Flyes.
Circuit – Repeat for 5 total sets
Dumbbell Push Press – 50 lb Dumbbells – 11 reps
Rear Lunge to Row (Set at top position)
55 lbs – 10 reps each side – keep core tight!!!!!

Because the gym was closed Monday my workouts are a day off which I think will be a good thing.

Kettlebell class tonight was KILLER.

Had a new guy Ed join the class so now it is Brad, Art, Ed, myself and Jim the instructor. What I really like about this class is everyone is working as hard as they can and we all encourage each other. That friendly competition and encouragement really adds to the class experience. On top of that you can tell that Jim just loves teaching these classes.

I did my best to capture what we did. There were a couple of rests in there but few and far between.

Activation
Egyptions
Walking with Med Ball doing overhead orbits
Pink Panther Reach 10
Pink Panther Hip Open 10
Reverse Lunges 10
Plank 30 seconds
_____________
Walks
Farmer Walk
Waiter Walk
Rack Walk
Swing Walk
(We do these on a short track, about 50 feet)
Here we got a 2 minute rest

_________________
Lift Practice
(Complex Combinations)
Plank Rows / Laying down bench press
Single arm swing/snatch (2 X 5 reps)
2KB Dead Lift / Rack Squat
10 Ring Rows and 3 X 10 Pushups

__________________________
Ladders
Snatch Ladder 1-10 20 KG
Cleans Ladder 1-10 20 KG (first 8 then drop down to 16KG)

_________________________
Core
Turkish Get Ups (2 X 3 reps)
KB Crawls
Plank Sideup Pulls

Stretching

This all too 1 hour and I was wearing my HR monitor. Heart rate stayed between 130-150 for the hour. If you have any questions about the exercises just let me know and I will try to explain them.

Almost no sleep last night. When I was not tossing I was turning. In the truck at 5A for the gym.

As I turned into the parking lot I thought “Gosh, everyone must be late today” and then I suddenly remembered that the gym is closed today in observance of Passover. So I turned around and went back home. Lucky for me I am only 4 minutes away.

Going to hit the sack as early as possible tonight, hoping for some sleep.

Tomorrow I will hit the gym first thing in the morning and then I have a KB class in the evening.

Monday
Core Circuit – Repeat 3 times with no rest, 15 – 20 lb – 12 each x 4 SH Flyes.
Circuit – Repeat for 5 total sets
Dumbbell Push Press – 50 lb Dumbbells – 11 reps
Rear Lunge to Row (Set at top position)
55 lbs – 10 reps each side – keep core tight!!!!!

Friday
Core Circuit – same as workout 1
Circuit – Repeat for 5 total sets with 2:00 minute rest between sets
Kettlebell Clean and Squat 20kg – 12
Assisted Wide Pullups #14 – 11 reps
Continue to increase the weight as needed to complete the sets.

Good sleep and at gym at 5A.

Very sore from KB class last night. Looking forward to completing todays workout and having a couple of days off.

Friday
Core Circuit – same as workout 1
Circuit – Repeat for 5 total sets with 2:00 minute rest between sets
Kettlebell Clean and Squat 20kg – 12
Assisted Narrow Pullups #14 – 11 reps

I worked my shoulder flyes into the circuit and only took one minute rest times. Overall good workout.