kettlebellguy

Archive for February, 2009

Click for full size whiteboard 2-27-2009

I expected a big class but it worked out to be just Angie and Tomas with Brian and Jerry coaching.

Ron D. was not there. If you are reading this Ron I hope you have a really good excuse cause you got some ‘splaining to do.

I resisted the temptation to jump on the scale. Going to hold off until Monday morning for the weigh in with Ron.

We worked on Kettlebell Snatch this morning which was great for me. That’s one of the things I can do and have done thousands of times.

My shoulders are bound up this morning from all the work I did yesterday on pull ups. Lucky for me this mornings workout only had 84 pull ups and I did them as Jumping Pull ups although Jerry did threaten to take my box away since I did some regular pull ups yesterday. In the end he took mercy on me and let me use the box.

Tomas is really making progress. In the past it would be very unusual for Tomas to beat me but as you can see he left me far behind this morning. I really need Tom to get back to class so I will have someone I can beat.

One more thing for Ron. You better do something so that you lose more pounds than me come Monday morning or there will be hell to pay.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-26-2009

Good results this morning. Brian worked with Eric and I individually on the things we suck at which were Ring Dips for Eric and Pull Ups for me. I made my first kipping Pull Up which was a goal that Brian had set for me. Of course now the goal changes to doing more than 1 in a row.

We decided to try setting a new PR for the 2000K Row and both Eric and I set a new one.

Yesterday was another good day of eating and I drove right past the Acme this morning so no doughnuts. Next weight in at the gym on Monday.

Here is an example of the Kipping Pull Up technique.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-25-2009

Had a full class this morning. Charlie was there which always ups the excitement value of the class. We also had Eric, Tomas, Matt, Ron, Austin and Angie with Brian and Jerry (AKA Mr. GQ since he coaches in his business clothes because of his morning schedule) coaching.

I had the opportunity to talk to Tomas. He has really started to slim down, you can really see a reduction in his belly and face. He has lost 16 pounds. Ron and I sure need that motivation of seeing Tomas being successful.

This mornings WOD was really difficult for me. My left knee was hurting every once in a while and that was throwing off my Push Jerk during our practice. Once I got some weight on the bar they became easier. The jump ropes really did a number on my legs. I was glad this was a timed (20 minute) WOD. I just set my mind to doing what I could the best I could and just kept waiting for the 20 minutes to end. I started off with 95 lbs but dropped that back to 65 lbs for the last set of Push Jerks so that I could at least do what I did correctly. I sure did not set any records but I did not stop moving for the 20 minutes.

Have had 2 good eating days. Looking forward to a third.

I posted this short video here for two reasons. First, it’s a good Kettlebell instruction video from Kettlebell Advantage and second, Mark Erickson is wearing the same Vibram FiveFingers that I wear.

OK, the Body Fat numbers are in for Ron and I. These are based on a 3 point body fat capilier measurement on 2/23/2009.

Is this a perfect and 100% accurate measure of our body fat? No, it is simply an indication. There are many different ways to establish the body fat percentage. When using the skinfold method the skill and consistency of the tester is key. For Ron and I this will be a good indication of change over our 30 day challenge. Brian will do the same test in 30 days and the important number will be the difference between our starting and ending percentage.

Here is some information about the skinfold method of determining bodyfat percentages.

Skinfold methods

The skinfold estimation methods are based on a skinfold test, whereby a pinch of skin is precisely measured by calipers at several standardized points on the body to determine the subcutaneous fat layer thickness. These measurements are converted to an estimated body fat percentage by an equation. Some formulas require as few as three measurements, others as many as seven. The accuracy of these estimates is more dependent on a person’s unique body fat distribution than on the number of sites measured. As well, it is of utmost importance to test in a precise location with a fixed pressure. Although it may not give an accurate reading of real body fat percentage, it is a reliable measure of body composition change over a period of time, provided the test is carried out by the same person with the same technique.

Skinfold-based body fat estimation is sensitive to the type of caliper used, and technique. This method also only measures one type of fat: subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat under the skin). Two individuals might have nearly identical measurements at all of the skin fold sites, yet differ greatly in their body fat levels due to differences in other body fat deposits such as visceral adipose tissue: fat in the abdominal cavity. Some models partially address this problem by including age as a variable in the statistics and the resulting formula. Older individuals are found to have a lower body density for the same skinfold measurements, which is assumed to signify a higher body fat percentage. However, older, highly athletic individuals might not fit this assumption, causing the formulas to underestimate their body density.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-24-2009

Just Eric and I this morning with Brian coaching.

Tuesday is usually a hard workout day and this was not exception. Brian worked with us on rowing technique this morning and we picked up a couple more hints to be more efficient.

The workout was exhausting. Kettlebell Swings (I used 55lb, Eric used 45lb) for one minute, Wall Balls for one minute and Knees to Elbows (or belly in my case) for one minute with a 30 second rest then repeat for a total of six rounds.

I finished the Club 3000 KB Clean Challenge for February. I need to decide what movement to use for the March Club 3000 Challenge. Several people have mentioned Push Ups. That would turn my right shoulder to mush by the end. The other movement I have been thinking about is Double Unders. There is no way I would win with either of those movements and perhaps that is OK. Carrying this heavy responsibility of winning two months in a in a row is a heavy burden. Leaning more toward the push ups because I think that will involved more people in trying to complete the challenge.

I might make the challenge Push Ups but might use that time to work on my Double Unders to reach my personal goal of 5 in a row by June.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-23-2009

Ron K, David, Terry H. (who is leaving for Florida today for 2 weeks), Tomas and Ron D with Brian and Jerry coaching.

I was really glad to see Ron D. show up because today is the start of our 30 day Weight/Body Fat loss challenge and I would have hated to have to go and track him down. More about that latter.

The WOD was really hard for me because of all the squatting with the lifts. That really takes everything out of me. I think I actually got a few done with really good form toward the end of the workout. Brian and Jerry were on everyone for form this morning. These movements are not easy to do 100% correctly every single time. It seemed like everyone was having trouble this morning. Maybe it was because it was a Monday.

I now have 4 days left on the 3000 Kettlebell Clean challenge. Got 120 done today giving me a total of 2820, 94% complete. I plan to get the 180 remaining done in the morning and then do what I can on Wednesday-Friday to go over the 3000 goal.

The weights are in:
Terry 261 lbs / 6’2″
Ron 268 lbs/ 5’9″
Brian is working to calculate the body fat percentages after taking the caliper measurements this morning.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-21-2009

Shawn, Tylor, Chris, Alexis, Adam, Eric, Mike, and Kayla with Brian and Jerry coaching. Welcome back Jerry after your week in the big city.

Mike was only with us for a couple of days. He is traveling and stopped in to workout with us. That’s another fun thing about Crossfit, you never know who might show up for a couple of workouts. Thanks for working out with us Mike.

Brian laid out new mats for the floor yesterday. He also rearranged most of the equipment in the gym so we had a new look this morning. To me it’s just a bigger chalkboard.

The WOD included front squats which are a real challenge for me. We will see if my ganglion cyst is back in the morning. The hand position for the front squat puts a lot of pressure on my wrist. Balance that off with the pain in my hips on the squats and you have a total overall miserable situation. Good times.

Another hundred KB Cleans done today. Up to 2,270, just 300 more to go. At 90% complete.

The weight loss / body fat challenge starts with Ron on Monday morning.

Click for full size whiteboard 2-20-2009

Had a full gym this morning, 11 people. Ron K, Mike, Tomas, David, Ron D, Shawn, Tylor, Eric, Terry H. and Angie with Brian coaching. Jerry still hanging out in Cleveland.

Eric used 45lbs, I used 40lbs. Ron K and Mike used 60 lbs. I did not realize as the workout went on how many people had stopped prior to 20 minutes. I felt good about getting the 20 minutes in.

Got a good number of KB Cleans in bringing me to 2,600 or 86.6% complete. Almost done.

The Battle Begins