16 kg SSST snatch training and Kenneth Jays Max Vo2 snatch workout

Saturday 1:45 KB Snatches w/ 16kg & 12kg

Well, here goes the start of my training to test the SSST in Sept.

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/12kg, 1 min. on 1 min. rest x 3 sets = 6 min.
Misc. snatch transfers w/12kg & 16kg, 3-4 min.

Work sets w/16kg

10/10 x 3 ( 1st video shows this set) 30 reps each side, 60 snatches
equal rest (about 2.5 min.)
8/8 x 3, 24 reps each side, 48 snatches
equal rest (about 2 min. 15 sec.)
6/6 x 3, 18 reps each side, 36 snatches
equal rest (about 2 min.)

Total snatches w/16kg = 144 /about 15 min. total time
16 kg SSST training


I've got alot of work ahead of me! 16kg is no joke! These reps were too fast to go much longer, this really winded me, and the last time I tried a more GS style the reps were too slow and my shoulder strength gave. If I had to pick which was easier, at this point I feel it would be easier to train for GS, going the 10 min. slower w/ 1 hand trans., I'm not saying that GS is easier, it's just my opinion based on my own fitness level and strength.

Max V02

15 sec. sets w/ 15 sec. rest each arm w/12kg x 40 sets = 20 min.

8 snatch L, rest, 8 snatch R, rest = 320 snatches

Start of Kenneths Max Vo2 snatch workout /first 3 sets


1/2 through the workout/ sets # 24,25, you can see the fatigue, even though the reps were the same # my form was no as strong or crisp.


I finished the workout staying w/12kg

10 2 hand swings, 10 transfers x 6 = 3 min. on
1 min. rest x 2 sets = 8 min. (120 reps x 2 = 240)
10 2 hand swings, 10 transfers x 4 = 2 min. on
1 min. rest x 2 sets = 6 min. (80 reps x 2 = 160)
10 2 hand swings, 10 transfers x 2 = 1 min. on
1 min rest x 2 sets = 4 min. (40 reps x 2 = 80)

Total time 18 min. (total swing reps w/12kg 480)

Total workout time 58-60 min.

I did not feel strong today, next week I think I'll have to go back to training first thing in the morning.

Friday AM weight 129.0
8:30am 1 hour beach walk/jog
10:00am KB swings w/ Heather

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
10:00 & 11:00 carrots, celery (2 each), PNB, raisins 350 cal.
2:30 cabbage slaw w/chicken (6oz) and curry dressing 500 cal.
2:45 8 small apricots 150 cal. + pistachios 80 cal.
5:30 chili stew w/chicken (4oz), and black beans 450 cal.
8:30 chocolate sucker 70 cal.

Total calories 1670

99% of my food was clean and healthy (minus the chocolate sucker sweetened w/corn syrup). I had taken some yogurt with me to work, but I didn't eat it because I chose the apricots (from someone's tree) and some nuts somebody else brought into work. Damn, my yogurt meal is one of my favs, so it sucked skipping it, but I kept a running total this day and simply couldn't afford the extra calories if I want to get my weight back down in the 127-8's. So I was a little surprised, after keeping things pretty tight for the last few days that this morning......

Saturday AM weight 129.8 (?)
1:45 KB snatch workout
7:00pm 1 hour walk

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
7:30 prunes w/PNB (3) 100 cal.
9:30 3 massively large donuts 1200- 1500 cal.
12:30 espresso w/cream (pre workout) 70 cal.
3:30 1 whole crenshaw melon 400 cal.?
5:30 spinach salad w/chicken (5oz) and anchovy dressing 450 cal.

Total calories around 2800

I managed to have a "mild" high calorie day, it's a miracle really! Everytime I felt like totally giving up and bingeing continuously throughout the day, I would hear in my head. "Just eat it all, eat everything, you might as well, it's just one day, you already blew it, and you were going to try and be good, that went out the window when you stopped at the donut shop. You knew better than that.", that was followed by, "Calm down, how much do you freakin need? You never got your weight back down from last week, don't add insult to injury. DON'T ADD INSULT TO INJURY. you will feel like shit if you don't stop now. It's not too late."

Tomorrow is Sunday and my plan is to map out a NEW PLAN! I'm not ready to weigh more than 130, it's got to come back down, but slowly, and intelligently. And although I have to admit I like feeling a little beefier ( I think my boo-tay is bigger!) my head is just not there yet.

Don't add insult to injury. Make life good.

Thurs. Squat / Clean Press / 16kg / 2 min. sets

We have video, but for some reason it's not uploading...hope to have it soon. Update; Mark had to edit this down, so it only 1/3 of the actual set.


My schedule went crazy and I ended up doing my workout at 4:30pm! My food (schedule) was all over the map because of it, but mentally, I had to force myself to just go out there (the gym) and start swinging. As soon as the blood starts pumping through my muscles after the very first set, I know it'll be fine, the workout pulls me along.

4:30pm KB

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/12kg 1 min. on 1 min. rest, x 5 sets = 10 min.

Work sets w/16kg

10 clean, press, 2 hnd trans., squat, repeat, (5 each side), 2 min, on
1 min. rest

x 10 sets = 30-35 min.

These sets actually took a little longer than 2 min., about 10-20 sec. longer, depending on how long I held the squat at the bottom.

10 double clean/push press w/12kg's, 45 sec. on
45 sec rest

x 4 sets = 6 min.

I had planned on 5 sets total, but I didn't have any more in me! I didn't want to push my training too far, I can't afford to be stupid and risk any kind of injury. My KB workouts are too important.

Total workout 50-55 min.

Thursday AM weight 130.0
6:30 am Bikram yoga
4:30 KB

Menu

coffee/cream 70 cal.
10:15 oats/yogurt 370 cal.
1:15 mint candies (100 cal.), apple/almonds, 140 cal.
2:30 PNB, raisins, carrots / celery 350 cal.
4:15 triscuts (6) 120 cal. + Met-Rx 100 bar, 360 cal.
6:30 chicken salad w/mayo/curry dressing 400 cal.

Total calories 1910

Wow! I didn't realize my calories were so high! But my servings were smaller (slightly, about 30 %) and my workouts were tough.

I can't believe I ate a Met-Rx bar, I consider those one step up from candy, but at 4:15pm I was facing my KB workout and needed something for fuel. I hadn't eaten a "real meal", like a salad or veg soup, up to then because I didn't want to be digesting veggies before my workout. Mark brought home a whole box of these bars from his trip this past weekend, so since I've crossed the line and ate one, it'll be tough resisting the rest, they're chocolate chip cookie dough flavor! How can that be good????

It's Friday, I get to go to Santa Cruz this morning. I'll start out with a walk/jog along the beach for about 1 hour, and then end up swinging with a client in Scotts Valley, then off to work for the rest of the day.

Life is good.

Eat Less / Lose Weight (who would've guessed?)

It's amazing what happens when you eat less, you lose weight!

Monday AM weight 132.0
11:45am KB 2127 swings/1hour/w12kg
Calories 1700

Tuesday AM weight 133.0
6:30am Bikram yoga
10:30am KB 2 hand swings w/16kg, 20kg 35 min.
Calories 1510 (lots of water too)

Wednesday AM weight 131.2
6:30am 1 hour walk
Calories 1630

Menu (Wed.)

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
10:30 carrot/celery PNB 200 cal.
11:30 oats/yogurt 370 cal.
2:30 broc salad w/raisins, tuna, homemade mayo 540 cal. (smaller than normal portion)
4:00 1/2 apple 50 cal.
5:30 chili pepper stew w/beef (6oz.) 450 cal. (smaller than normal portion)

My work day was 9am-9pm, I went to bed a little hungry (feeling), and guess what? It didn't kill me! Woke up this morning feeling slim and trim 130.0....yessss

I'm concentrating more on eating more fats, still trying to keep the carbs low (but not nonexistant!). I'm using more oil (fat) in my salads and enjoying the PNB in moderation, also more full fat yogurt.

Skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts of beef, it's nice and fatty, therefore flavorful. I made a quick spicy rub w/

2t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1t. dried basil
1t. dried thyme
1/4t. cayenne

I rubbed into 1 1/2 lbs skirt steak cut into 6 inch pieces and left out to come to room temp 1-2 hours. Broiled for 5 min each side, let rest and cut on diagonal across grain, into thin strips. (this can be grilled on BBQ for the same amount of time, 5 min. each side)

Miss Piggy

Well, It's hard for me to believe that I haven't been focused on food so much these days, and that's a good thing....a step, I feel, in the right direction. My food is and has been pretty much on "auto-pilot". I think it's obvious that I eat basically the same foods everyday, and I totally blow it once a week! And although I haven't been posting my food journal, I do keep a hard copy because I believe, for me, of it's importance for my awareness and accountability. In fact I think it may be time to purchase a larger journal so I can start writing down some of my feeling/emotions around food/meals because the "food" part I have down.... it's the "other stuff" that still takes over.... let me rephrase that...that I still let take over.

My weight was exactly where I wanted it to be last week, 6/16-6/23. I had a mild high calorie day on Sat. (6/16), which was good for my head, and then ate well and enough to level out my weight over the week, and my BF averaged between 17-19%;

128.6 (Sat., high calorie day 2800?)
129.4 (Sun., 1580 cal.)
131.6 (Monday, 1420 cal.)
128.4 (Tues., 2450 cal.)
128.4 (Wed., 1750 cal.)
128.6 (Thurs., 1530 cal.
128.6 (Fri., 1620 cal.)
128.6 (Sat. 3500-4000 cal., high calorie day)

And then;

129.4 (Sun. 3500 cal. not supposed to be a high cal day!)
132.0 (Mon. 1700 cal.)
133.0 (Tues., 1570 cal., 19% BF)

133.0???? I think I've been scared straight! Oh, I can rationalize and make excuses for it...I've been lifting more...my body needs more calories...the carbs are holding water....I'm constipated...etc. But the bottom line is I've been eating too much food! Food that my body doesn't need. I've been Little Miss Piggy lately, and I know it. And although my food is good quality nutritious food, my serving sizes have been too large. It's been time to redefine "Tracy size serving"!

It's time to "get my science on" and face reality. Eat less. It's not going to kill me to feel a little hungry. Feeling hungry and being hungry can be 2 different things. If I'm gaining weight, I'm eating calories that my body doesn't need!

So in relation to food, when I think about the word pig/piggy, my definition is one of hoarding...wanting it all....taking more than I need.....holding on. Could this be a metaphor for my life? Maybe. It's something to think about, something to reflect on. I know I need to emotionally "let go", in fact I wrote a post about that not too long ago, "letting go".

But for now, I'm in charge of changing things, it's my responsibility to do the right thing no matter what I feel. This is when my strength of willpower and discipline kick back in. Man, swinging kettlebells for 1 hour is way easier than having to deal with food/emotions for 24!

Life is good and I'm back on track.

2 hand swings, more fun in the sun

I got some sun, but I miss the music!


Tuesday
6:30am Bikram yoga
10:30am KB 2 hand swings

Warm up

20 2 hand swings w/16kg, 30 on, 30 sec. rest x 5 sets = 5 min. total

Work sets

20 2 hand swing w/20 kg, 30 sec on, (video )
30 sec. rest
20 2 hand swings w/16 kg, 30 sec. on,
30 sec. rest
20 2 hand swings w/20 kg, 30 sec. on (same as first set)
30 sec. rest

I alternated these 3 sets in this order 10 x. All three took 3 min. to complete, 3 x 10 = 30 minutes.

Total workout 35 min.

Yesterday's swing marathon interrupted my 2 hand swing workout, so I decided, once again, to kill 2 birds w/1 stone and do my workout in the sun! (I love tanned feet, I know, I know, I should stay out of the sun.)

35 minutes is a short workout in my book, but that's all I had. I was going to throw a set of 1 hand swings w/16kg in the mix, but after doing one set (I didn't include that by the way, but I did do it!) my motor pattern was shot from so many 1 hand swings yesterday!

It's no coincidence that I haven't blogged so much about my food or my weight. It just hasn't been on my mind, my training has and that's reflected in my posts lately. But, that's coming I still have lots to say and sort out. So much food, so little time.

Life is good, and sunny!

One More Thing.....

One more thing about yesterday's swing marathon...my form actually got better as I kept swinging.

Mark was asking me some questions about my form, and I was explaining that the hardest part of the swing for me is the downstroke. The downstroke (for lack of a better description, I don't know what else to call it?), because my strength is in my legs and hips, requires strength from my upperbody and can really put strain on my mid-back (lats?) as the weight pulls me down and back, and then my lower body takes over using the momentum generated to "pop" it out of the bottom.

I have to use my legs to absorb the shock of the weight of the downstroke by using more of a hinge/squat, and this becomes more apparent the longer I swing, it has to, as I start to experience fatigue. And then as the weight is propelled forward and up, my upper body guides the weight up and then takes over as it comes down and then the whole thing starts over again.

The swing has to be supported by all of the intregral parts in order to swing at that level. And therefore my form got better and stronger, more efficient and my reps increased.

Oh yea, and my feet went numb, as they sunk into the lawn, during the last 2 minutes!

2127 Swing reps w/12kg / 1 Hour

Monday 11:45-12:45 12kg swings/transfers

Here's the breakdown

11:45-12:10, 25 minute set/ 1006 swings
12:10-12:14 4 min. rest
12:14-12:19, 5 minute set /200 swings
12:19-12:21 2 min. rest
12:21-12:31, 10 minute set / 414 swings
12:31-12:33 2 min rest
12:33-12:45, 12 minute set / 507 swings

Total swings 2127 / 52 minutes work / 8 min. rest

Swing breakdown / roughly a 40 rep per min. pace

Set #1 / 25 min.
10 min., transfers, 15 min. 1 swing, 1 transfer 40 reps per min. pace + 6 extra reps

Set #2 / 5 min.
transfers 40 reps per min. pace

Set #3 /10 min.
1 swing, 1 transfer, 40 reps per min. pace +14 extra reps

Set#4 /12 min.
1 swing 1 transfer, 40 per min. pace + 27 extra reps

I wasn't going to try this until next week, but I thought why not now? I wanted to lay out in the sun today for an hour, and I thought why don't I just put on my bathing suit and swing in the sun for an hour and kill 2 birds with one stone?! (Sorry, no video! LOL) The first set I did in the sun, the rest of the workout I moved to the shade!

It was my intention to swing 10 min. sets w/2 min. rest periods x 5 = 60 min. @ 40 reps per min. pace.

But I decided to see how long I could swing without stopping. After 10 min. I knew I could go 15, and after 15 I thought I could go 30. But, I was in the sun and my focus was on relaxing and NOT killing myself, so I rested after 25 min., I know I can go longer under the right circumstances. I started feeling the soreness (in my lats) from my previous workout and I do not want to jepordize my real training. After all this was just for fun, I'm not interested in training for endurance right now, especially with the 12kg.

All swings were done at least waist/chest level, barefoot and on grass.

I did not go for speed.

For anyone wanting to challenge themselves here are a few things that I learned;

Transfers take up more time than staying on one side. I was able to get more reps in when I switched to swing/transfers. I chose not to do 10/10 because I did not want to overdo. Again, this is not what I want to focus my training on right now.

I found it easier to swing longer sets. It was easier to keep swinging instead of resting, somehow resting interrupted "the roll", the rythm. That's why, after my first set, I tried a 5 min. set, that wasn't long enough, so I went to 10, and then finally 12.

I know these have turned into "unofficial, friendly challenges" so I invite all women to "go for it", but I never intended to start anything, I was just doing my workouts! I'm done with this for a while.

My new best friend is the 16kg! Getting stronger, building more muscle. Life is good!

300 reps /16kg Snatch workout

Saturday 1:00 KB 16kg Snatch

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/16kg x 5 sets, 1 min. on 1 min. rest = 10 min.
10 snatch/transfers w/16kg, x 1 set, 1 min. on 1 min. rest = 2 min.

Work sets w/16kg

10 L, 10 R snatch (20 reps), 50 sec. on
1 min. 10 sec. rest

x 15 sets = 30 min. total (150 reps each side = 300 snatches)

40 2 hand swings w/16 kg, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
40 2 hand swings w/20kg, 1 min. on
1 min. rest

alternating each set 5 x = 20 min. total

Total workout 62 min.

2 days/ 2 Workouts

Wednesday 7:30am KB 2 hand swings

40 2 hand swings w/12kg x 3 sets, 1 min. on 1 min, rest = 6min.

#1 40 2 hand swings w/ 12kg, 40 2 hand swings w/16kg, 2 min. on (80 reps)
1 min. rest
#2 40 2 hand swings w/16kg, 40 2 hand swings w/12kg, 2 min. on (80 reps)
1 min. rest

Both sets took 6 min. to complete, rotated 3 x = 18 min.

40 2 hand swings w/12kg x 3 sets = 6 min.

Total workout 30 min. (720 swings)

I didn't have time to go to yoga, I didn't have time to walk for an hour, so what's better than 30 min of 2 min. sets w/ the KB???? Although I have a hard time, once I get going to cut my workout off at 30 min., I do have to go to work every once in a while.

I spent the early morning, 5:00am-7:00am, cooking and preparing the whole days food. That took priority over my workout so I had to get that done before. Never leave the house without knowing what the hell you're going to eat for the day.

Thursday 10:30am KB double clean, press, squat

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/12kg 1 min. on 1 min. rest x 5 sets = 10 min.

Work sets w/2 12kg's

8 double clean, dbl. cl. press, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
10 double clean, squat 1 min. on
1 min. rest

I rotated these 2 sets 8 x. Both sets took 4 min. to complete x 8 = 32 min. total

8 clean press L, 8 clean press R, 8/8/8/8 bottoms up cleans, 3 min. on 1 min. rest x 3 sets = 12 min. total

Total workout 54 min.

I've got a busy day, Marks at the level 2 cert this weekend, gotta go!

Life is freakin' great!

What Am I Training For?

KB's came into my life for a couple of reasons, first, I knew I had to add some sort of weight resistance exercise in addition to my walking after my inital 20-30lb weight loss, and I knew having muscle burns more calories AND looks nicer than no muscle. Second, Mark named his studio Girya and was totally into kettlebells at the time, so what else would I do, go to 24 HOUR Fitness???? Not.

So there I started. Just swinging for 20 min. (5 sets 2 1/2 min. sets, 2 1/2 min. rest, combos). After about 3 months I noticed something that I had never seen before, shoulder definition! And I knew it was the KB's. So I thought....hmmn....if this is the result of 20 min. of swing combinations, what will 40 minutes do?? Even with all the power lifting and bodybuilding exercises I had done in the past I had never had the shoulder and arm definition I had always dreamed about, until KB's.

I was hooked, I was hooked on the way I looked. Especially on my way down from such a big weight loss I never imagined that my body could ever recover from that kind of damage. Yes, I would be smaller, but what would I look like? The more training I did, the better I looked, and the more training I did, the better I looked, then my natural endurance kicked in, combined with a tendency to become obsessive, and I started getting leaner and stronger.

I'm just somebody who's worked really hard to acheive my goals, to lose weight and get "in shape". The fact that my style of training has produced an incredible amount of work capacity and upper body strength was a side effect, so what to do with it? There's a couple of ways to test the effect of my training, the SSST or the rules of GS sport. Could I do well if I specialized in either? I think so. Do I want to change my training to do so? I don't think so, if it ain't broke don't fix it. It's fun to challenge yourself but I'm really interested in the physical effects of KB training not just numbers.

So what am I training for? Bottom line, I want to look good, I'm 43 years old and I have a second chance in my life to be the best I can be . I don't train specifically for one or the other, I've never claimed to be an expert in either. I can specialize in SSST or GS or specialize in looking good? Winning for me is getting the body I've always wanted.

How to lose 3 lbs. in 24 hours

Swing the 16kg for an hour!

My Saturday high calorie day has turned into a carb fest and because I KB on Monday, I don't do a semi-fast on Sunday anymore. I do try and keep my calories below 1500, but not the 1000 that I used to, I need food for fuel the next day. So, the combination of eating alot more and holding water keeps my weight up for 2-3 days, instead of being able to get it back down in a day. In fact Monday's weight, alot of times, is more than Sunday the day after high calories.

Sunday AM weight 129.4 (Sat. 127.6)
7:00pm 1 hour walk
Total calories 1580

I ate a whole pound of beef on Sunday (weight before cooking)!

Monday AM weight 131.6
7:15 KB swings, 65 min.

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
oats/yogurt 300 cal.
carrots/celery/PNB/raisins/almonds/prune 350 cal.
salmon nicoise salad 500 cal. (Nordstrom Cafe)
spinach/tomato/chicken salad w/anchovy dressing 500 cal.

Total calories 1720

I spent the whole day (and I do mean the whole day 10am-6pm) power shopping with my mother, she needed to find a dress for her September wedding. We started at Stanford shopping center, that's where I treated her to lunch around 2:00 at the Nordstrom Cafe (I shared my nuts, celery & PNB/raisins with her about 12:30), and ended up at Valley Fair. She found 2 dresses and her shoes, YEAH!

I decided not to walk in the evening, every once in a while I do talk some sense into my "over-exercising" self, considering my earlier workout. I thought I ate more and my calories were higher, so I was shocked at my weight this morning;

Tuesday AM weight 128.4

Life is good!

1620 Swings w/ 16kg / 60 minutes

Monday 7:15am KB swings w/16kg

Warm up

20 2 hand swings w/16kg 30 sec. on 30 sec. rest x 5 sets = 5 min. total, (100 reps)

Work sets w/16kg

#1 40 transfers 1 min. on (40 reps)
30 sec. rest
#2 20/1 swing, 1 transfer, 1 min. on (40 reps)
30 sec rest
#3 5/5 1 hand swings x 4, 1 min. on (40 reps)
30 sec rest
#4 10/10 1 hand swings x 2. 1 min. on (40 reps)
30 sec. rest

All 4 sets took 6 min. to rotate x 8 = 48 min. (32 sets x 40 reps = 1280) I then switched to set #1 for the last 8 sets, ( 320 reps + 20 add.= 340) swinging throught the last 30 seconds rest period for an additional 20 reps. That added my last 12 min. and extra reps. Total reps 1620

Total workout 65 min. 1720 reps

I'm a little "punchy" right now, so I'm not 100% positve about the #'s, but I'm pretty sure.

It was my intention to repeat all 4 sets 10x, but I switched the last 8 sets because the weight of the 16kg on the downswing was really pulling on my right trap, so I needed the relief of the transfers. I also changed my form at that time to more of a squatting swing, and what I mean by that is because of the "pulling" on my right side, by adapting more of a squat on the downswing my legs absorbed the pull of the weight instead of my trap.

I learned alot during this workout,

What it's like to get blisters on my hands, and wrist (from rubbing against my pants).

Really keeping balanced on the whole of my feet working with a heavier weight (something that yoga has also taught me).

30 sec rest periods suck.

Hip-snapping dissappears in about 10 min.

Delirium sets in around 30 min., and then adreniline sets in around 56 min.

Remember to wear heartrate monitor when attempting crazy shit like this.

I did it, I'm done.

GS style snatches

OK, I've been humbled! This is the first time I've tried snatching with more of a GS style. I put it that way because, now that I'm reviewing the tape, it felt different than it actually looks. I felt the "corkscrew" decent more than it shows up on tape. When I was doing it it felt like I was bringing the bell in, closer to my face and body than it looks like I did. I don't think I'm built for this style. I had a hard time pulling from my shoulder, instead of hip-snapping, I naturally use my legs.

After warming up by trying this new style (about 10 min), I then tested how long I could snatch the 16kg @ about 18 rep per min. speed. Starting on my weak side, I could only snatch for a little over 1 1/2 min. (30 reps), then switched to my stronger side for 30 more reps in the same amount of time, for a total time of only over 3 minutes. Three minutes! My shoulders were "smoked"! It's been a long time since I couldn't just put my head into it and gut it out, I couldn't! That's all I had!

So, since I had to then do my actual snatch workout, i decided to do sets of snatch/holds. Here's what I did;

1:30pm KB snatch/holds w/12kg & 16kg

Warm up

10-15 min. GS style practice w/12kg & 16kg

Work sets

#1 12/12 snatch/5 sec hold w/12kg, 2 min. on 1 min. rest (1 min. each side before switching)

#2 6/6 snatch/5 sec. hold w/16kg, 1 min. on 1 min. rest (30 sec. each side, video shows this set)

I repeated set #1 twice before set #2. So the pattern was 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, etc. for 5 rotaions. Each rotation took 8 min. to complete for a total time of 40 min.

I realized that I hadn't done any swings, and I wanted to, so I added 10 sets of 2 hand swings w/16kg, 1 min. on 30 sec. rest, for a total time of 15 minutes / 400 reps.

Total workout 65-70 minutes

veins


Saturday AM weight 127.6 (exactly the same as last week)
1:30pm KB snatch/holds/swings
7:00pm 1 hour walk
Total calories around 2500

No "bake sale" binge, but I did let myself eat foods that I wouldn't normally eat. I had a few chips, alot of wheat thins, some ice cream, some cookies as well as some better foods. I would consider this Saturday to be 50% better than last week. And that's a huge success!

When I told this to Mark he asked me what I was shooting for, and I realized that I hadn't really set any goals, as far as what I was going to allow myself to eat. I was mainly concentrating on not bingeing on 4000 calories worth of sugar in 30 min. time. Next week I'll be out of town and that will present more challenges, but I'm fine, I'm still in a good mood!

Graduation Day!

My baby boy! Last night my youngest son, Gabriel, graduated from Westmont High School. He will be attending San Jose State next year. In addition to working for Washington Mutual Bank, as a teller for the last 2 years, he has decided to take a "fun" job this summer at a game store. We are very proud, of course. I can't believe just 1 year ago he wasn't even driving!

The weather was boiling yesterday and it's expected for one more day. My mother ( bottom picture) is visiting from Denver and we are going to Santa Cruz today to spend a couple of hours on the beach. I've already warned her that we'll be taking a walk of the entire length of the beach, first, after all I have to get some exercise in and I'm not on vacation , then we can lay around.

I do have to go to work late in the afternoon so I have to make sure all of my food is ready, for the beach, and work, before I leave this morning.

Thursday AM weight 128.8
1:00 pm weight 127.4 BF 17.8%
9:30 1 hour walk
12:00 demo swings @ Girya

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
11:30 carrots w/ PNB 200 cal.
2:00 lg cabbage slaw w/curry dressing and raisins, 5 oz. chicken, 300+85+250 cal.
2:30 small piece of yellow cake w/choc frosting 250 cal. (yes, it was small)
5:30 almonds 60 cal.
6:30 broccoli salad w/ green grapes, tuna and mayo 250 +250+180 cal.

Total calories 1855

I'm establishing the habit of not snacking, and I like it. I love looking at my daily menu and the list is short. I haven't been hungry early in the day, so I'm just "going with it". I accept the fact that it could change daily, so I'll eat when I'm hungry, so if it's early one day and late another the key for me is just not waiting until I'm starving.

I finished my book on binge eating, and read some good info that I'll be sharing in the next few weeks. Reading it has made me more aware of how I put myself in dangerous situations and hopefully how to better avoid doing that. The "bake sale" thing is my biggest challenge, for sure. I think because I don't neccessarily want to give it up. More on that another time though.

My weight is exactly where I want it, although it has taken great discipline all week to get it back. Discipline not to starve it down, but to eat it down.

Light/Medium Two KB swings.

Well, you can't go heavy and hard all the time! I never know exactly what my workout is going to be, but Wednesday is a clean press / squat day, and after my 10 min. 2 hand swing warm up I was going to go right into double swings w/12kg's but I deccided to start with the 8kg's to warm up my form for the 12kg's.

I changed my form for double swings to a wider stance for 2 reasons, first, to be able to fit the 2 bells between my legs easier, and second, I was going to use the wider stance for my clean/squat to try and get some meat on my butt! My legs respond quickly to squats but I really need an ass! So Mark suggested widening my stance. My inner thighs should be sore tomorrow.

Inspired by my snatch workout on Sat. when I used the 12kg, and then the 16kg, noticing how the combination of the 2 helped keep my form strong, after the 1st set of double swings w/8kg's I decided to keep that set as my first of 4 combination sets. It's still hard for me to double swings the 12kg's for 1 full min. so when I switched weights I shortened the set to 30 sec.

7:15am KB double swings, clean press, squats

Warm up

40 2 hand swings w/12kg, 1 min. on 1 min. rest x 5 sets - 10 min.

Work sets

40 double swings w/8kg's, 1 min. on
1 min rest
20 double swings w/12kg's 30 sec. on
30 sec. rest
14 double clean press w/12 kg's 1 min. on
1 min. rest
6 double clean squat w 12kg's, 30 sec. on
30 sec. rest

All 4 sets took 6 min. to complete x 8 rotations = 48 min.

Total workout 58 min.

I taped the video to show praticing form with a lighter weight first and then going to the heavier weight, it wasn't an actual set from my workout, but could be in the near future, maybe 20/20.


Wednesday AM weight 130.4
7:15am KB doubles

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
11:00 lg carrot w/PNB 100 cal.
1:30 cabbage slaw w/curry dresing and 5oz chicken 350 + 250 cal.
3:15 1 cup yogurt w/triscuts (4) 260 cal. & 2 prunes 40 cal.
5:45 chili pepper stew w ground beef 5oz. 400 cal.
Misc. 200 cal.

Total calories 1670

I switched a recent favorite, PNB on sprouted wheat bread w/raisins and alfalfa sprouts for a large carrot w/1tbl PNB, potentially yucky, but actually not bad! My salads are still enormous and same with my serving of stew/soup. But most foods are clean, healthy, organic and always prepared by me!

Life is good.

Monday, 2 hand swings, 980 reps

7:30am KB

Warm up w/12kg (26 lbs.)

40 2 hand swings, 1 min. on 1 min, rest x 5 sets = 10 min. total (200 reps)

Work sets

#1 w/16kg (36 lbs.)
40 2 hand swings, 1 min. on, 1 min. rest x 5 sets = 10 min. total (200 reps)

#2 w/20 kg (44 lbs.)
40 2 hand swings, 1 min. on, 1 min. rest x 5 sets = 10 min. total (200 reps)

#3 w/24 kg (53 lbs.)
20 2 hand swings 30 sec. on, 30 sec. rest x 10 sets = 10 min. total (200 reps)

#4 w/28 kg (63 lbs.)
20 2 hand swings 30 sec. on, 30 sec. rest x 3 sets = 3 min. total (60 reps)
20 2 hand swings 30 sec. on 1 min. rest x 3 sets = 4.5 min. total (60 reps)

#5 w/32 kg (72 lbs.)
20 2 hand swings 30 sec. on 1 min. rest x 2 sets = 3 min. total (40 reps)

#6 w/40 kg (88 lbs.)
10 2 hand swings, 15 sec. on 1 min. 15 sec. rest x 2 sets = 3 min. total (20 reps)

Total workout 53.5 min. 980 reps

This is the first time I did a workout progessively with harder and heavier sets without ending with easier and lighter sets. By the time I got to the 24kg, my grip is what couldn't go the entire 1 min., so I switched to 30 sec. sets, but doubled the number of sets. By the time I progressed to the 28kg my grip needed more rest than the 30 secs. so I rested 1 min. inbetween 30 sec. sets after the first 3 sets. I was able to stay with that work/rest ratio until I ended with the 40 kg, at that time my grip was shot and I was only able to hang on for 10 reps, taking the 1 min. 15 sec. rest to "even" off the time of the set.

I had plenty of strength in my hips and legs, and still able to get a decent "hip snap" w/40kg, only swinging hip heigth, so I guess the lesson would be not to wait until 50 minutes into a workout to swing your heaviest bell!

Sunday AM weight 130.4
3:30 Bikram yoga

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
small peach 80 cal.
small apple 80 cal.
prunes (5) 100 cal.
almonds (12) 120 cal.
chocolate sucker 70 cal.
1 bread 60 cal., 1 tbl. PNB 100 cal. + alfalfa sprouts (sandwich)
5:30 cherries 60 cal.
6:00 chili pepper soup w/beef (6oz), squash and black beans 520 cal.
9:30 cookies 400 cal.

Total calories 1660

The first 7 items (680 cal.) were consumed between 5am & 2:30pm and then I didn't eat until after yoga. My weight after yoga (5:30) and a shower, was 130.4 with 15.3% bodyfat! The lowest I had ever seen. And my calories were on track for the day until...... I fell asleep before picking Mark up from the airport, woke up, drove to San Francisco, and when I got back at 9:30pm I came across some of the bake sale goodies that had not been thrown out or (obviously) taken away from my sight....drats!

My morning weight did not surprise me because I had a seriously bad "bake sale" binge the day before and those damn carbs hold water. In fact every gram of carb holds 9 grams of water, salt holds about 20gms, with protein holding very little and fat holding none! So baked goods, my freakin' favorites, are quite possibly the worst type of food for me to eat. Which explains.......

Monday AM weight 132.0!!!!
7:30 am KB heavy swings
7:30 pm 1 hour walk
Menu

5:00-9:00 coffee w/cream 70 cal.
1:00 large carrot w/ 1 tbl. PNB 100 cal.
2:00 spinach /walnut pesto (100 cal.) salad w/tomatoes and cottage cheese 200 cal.
4:30 chili pepper stew w/skirt steak (6oz, 300 cal.) and spaghetti squash 200 cal.
6:30 yogurt w/steel cut oats, 290 + 150 cal.

Total calories 1410

Monday 1:00 pm weight 130.2 18.2% bodyfat. I did not even trip out about my weight, I woke up feeling heavy, not fat, just heavy.....because my calories were within my limits yesterday, I knew it was the stinkin' cookies.

Mark was surprised that I wan't upset, but I know I've been lifting more and eating more, and I'm making a conscious choice to get stronger and build muscle. On purpose. I'm actually excited to feel that I want to be more muscular, not skinnier! My clothes fit the same and I feel just as lean at 130 as I did at 127. I will get back down between 127-28 beacuse this extra weight is just due to holding water from the carbs for the last 2 days.

My eating is back on track and I'm reading a potentially life changing book titled "Binge No More". It's no secret that I'm a "work in progress", but my mood is good and calm and most important hopeful. Life is good.

Motivation for My Dieting Friends!

This picture is dedicated to Christine, who was so brave to post her before picture and as promised, here's another before and after photo of me.

The picture on the bottom was taken at Eastertime only 3 years ago, the picture on the top was taken about an hour ago It's amazing what the body and mind can accomplish. It's never too late to make miracles happen.

I remember losing the first 20 pounds because I could finally get my wedding ring back on my finger. (Notice, I'm not wearing it in the "before" picture)

Tuesday AM weight 129.4
6:30am Bikram yoga

Menu

5:00-9:30am coffee w/cream 90 cal.
11:00 prunes (3) 60 cal.
11:30 spinach salad w/chicken, roastd garlic/parmesean dressing 550 cal.
3:00 yogurt w/triscut 340 + 100 cal.
4:30 apple/grapes 140 cal.
7:00 veg soup w/spaghetti squash and black beans 400 cal.

Total calories 1680

Just Swings w/16kg (1280 reps)

Monday 7:45am KB

Warm up w/16kg

40 2 hand swings, 1 min. on 1 min. rest x 5 sets = 10 min. (200 reps)

Work sets w/16kg

40 transfers, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
20 swing/transfer, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
1 hand swings, transfer on 5th rep, 5/5,5/5,5/5,5/5, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
5/5,5/5, 1 hnd swing, 10 swing/trans, 20 transfers, 1.5 min. on
1 min. rest
20 transfers, 10 swing/trans., 5/5,5/5 1 hand swings, 1 .5 min. on
1 min. rest

All 5 sets took 11 min. to complete and had 240 reps per rotation. I completes 4 rotations x 11 = 44 min.. I ened the workout repeating the last two 1.5 min. sets for an additional 5 min. and 120 reps.

Total workout 59 minutes

All swings done with the 16kg, including the warm up. 200 2 hand reps + 1080 1 hand reps = 1280 total reps.

Saturday AM weight 128.2
7:00am 10 min. SSST + KB swing snatch WO
7:00pm 50 min. walk
Total calories (high calorie day) 2800-3000

Sunday AM weight 129.0
7:30pm 55 min. walk
Total calories 1920

Monday AM weight 130.6
7:45am KB 59 min. swings w/16kg
6:15pm 35 min. walk

Menu

coffee w/cream 70 cal.
oats/milk 180 cal.
3 prunes 60 cal.
spinach salad w/ginger dressing, 4oz chicken 500 cal.
fig cake 150 cal. (like the inside of a Newton)
chocolate sucker 70 cal.
PNB, alfalfa sprout sandwich w/raisins 360 cal.
yogurt w/3 triscuts 340 + 60 cal.

Total calories 1790

I was too tired to go to yoga class at 5:15pm (Monday), so I went for a quick walk instead. I had spent the day on Sunday at a comic book convention, helping a friend, and I didn't drink enough water, so I was dehydrated and bloated, so my weight was a little higher than I'm comfortable with.

But here it is ,Tues. morning 8:30am, and I'm done with yoga!!.... yea! Even though I'm not as flexible and I don't sweat as much in early morning classes, the best thing is that I've still got the whole day ahead of me.

I'm looking forward to the week, life is good.

The Competitor That I Am

What a crazy weekend! It started with the 10 minute snatch test, but that event dominated the last 2 days both physically and mentally.

I thought about mentioning the fact that I was going to try the SSST (secret service snatch test) on my blog, but to be honest it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a big deal because I had the attitude of this first test being only a baseline for the real challenge. This test was purely to see if I could snatch for 10 minutes straight, not to achieve a particular number of reps.

Since I didn't purposely train and/or peak for this test Mark had no idea of how I would do. He started to get me a little nervous and I found myself with a little doubt about my ability. He asked a few times what my strategy was, I didn't have one! I know what kind of training I had been doing, I know that at this point my fastest snatch speed is 18 reps per 30 sec. That's with no transfer and for only 1 minute. So I did the math, I knew I would be close to the record, but that wasn't my intention, for this first baseline test. I didn't even know what the current record was exactly, I just knew it was around 300. You can imagine how disappointed I was to complete the test at 295, when the tie for 2nd was 296! Especially knowing I could've done 300.

Mark on the other hand was blown away, completely surprised, and now reflecting on that, has said that if he would've known I'd be so close he would have helped pace me to try and break 300.

So, on the physical side, my rear delts and lats have been sore for the last 2 days. My inner thighs were tired and believe it or not I ended up taking a 45/50 min. walk Sat. night to rewarm and loosen them up (no soreness on Sunday!). I was hungrier on Saturday and started to feel "punchy" around 5:00pm from the intense energy output from that morning, remember I also did my regular workout after the SSST ending up with an additional 30-40 min. of snatches and swings. And I was planning on Sunday being a complete day of rest and recovery, but ended the day with 50 minutes of walking.

My food on Saturday was a combination cookie binge, red meat/veggie dinner and ice cream ending up around 2800-3000 calories. And although I had intentions of a lower calorie day on Sunday, I realized that I wanted to do a heavy/long swing workout w/16kg on Monday morning and I needed to eat to fuel that workout and ended the day with a calorie count of around 1800. I can't believe I'm choosing performance over the number on the scale! It was 130.8 this morning.

But I feel leaner and more muscular and I like it! I'm not ready to keep my weight up over 130, but if I want to get stronger, and I do, and I want to get more muscular, and I do, I have to make peace with the fact that I'm going to weigh more, and I think I am!

So that's part of the mental challenge, my weight, the other part is my training. Where do I go from here?

I got to enjoy my head in the clouds for about 24 hours, and then Kenneth Jay posted the fact that his girlfriend also tried the SSST and snatched 315! So I think the bar has been raised for us women out here! How exciting! And being the competitor that I am, this has given me more motivation and focus to think about developing an actual plan, a training strategy. And I'm excited about that. If my current training methods have served me this well, I've got some ideas of where I need to take it, where I need to go with it.

I thrive on competition. That's what started my transformation over 2 years ago, and apparently keeps me going with new motivation. And although it may seem that want to compete with others, the only real competition is with myself, motivation comes from others. I can only compare me to me. What am I capable of? It would be silly to compare or try to compete with women younger than me, sometimes half my age, weigh more with more muscle, or women that have been athletic all of their lives. And that's another miracle I've got from KB's.

I have no competive athletic background, although I do feel I have athletic talent, I've never formally trained for a competitve sport. I'm already 43 years old, coming off of a decade of inactivity and a weight gain and loss of over 100 pounds! The fact that I've been able to pick up this little ball of iron, swing it around and achieve the level of conditioning that I have over the past 2 years validates my style of training. It didn't matter where I started, Kettlebell training has allowed me to fully express the competitor that I am. Competing with myself, my own training to see how far I can take it, how much more can I do? We'll see!

Secret Service Snatch Test; Ten minutes: 295 Reps!

This puts Tracy in third place.Second place is 296 reps tied between Yoana Snideman and Kelly Moore.

This is a link to the leader board and info on the SSST.
http://fitnessyoucanuse.com/SSST.html

The rest of my workout;

After 5 min. warm up of transfers and snatch/transfers, I did the 10 min. challenge, then took about 5 min. rest, and then I alternated the following 3 sets x 5 rotations;

10 snatch L, 10 snatch R, 30 sec. pace, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
50 transfers w/16kg, 1 min. on
1 min. rest
40 3 hand swings w/16kg, 1 min. on
1 min. rest

6 minutes to complete each rotation (6 x 5) = 30 min.

Total workout about 50 min.

I have to admit that it took a few sets for my grip to come back! And now at 6:30pm my inner thighs are sore and I'm wiped out completely!

I did exercise the option of my "hour to devour" this afternoon, it was actually about 20 min. I had an awesome steak afterwards with veggies, and I just had some ice cream.

Today was an incredible day.

Know When to Walk Away, Know When to Run

Of course I hope one day to completely overcome this emotional need to overeat, but I don't know if that is possible. I know managing it is possible, and maybe that's all I can ask for, but something stronger than I am is still lurking, still hungry for more. Hungry to heal, trying to heal with food. Stuffing back and down the pain. The pain of what? And it is pain because it makes me feel like crap, like I've lost, like I've been defeated. Can I still win by simply cutting my losses? What causes this self destruction?

And it is destructive. Destructive to what I know to be healthy. And not just physically healthy, that's always scientically adjustable, but mentally healthy. It's much more mentally painful because it makes no sense, logically, to not be able to feel as if I can't stop overeating. Bingeing.

So I have come to the conclusion that I need to get in the habit of "cutting my losses" at the very least, and start there.

Thursday 5/24, peanut butter/prune, icecream binge 2000 cal.?
Monday 5/28, trail mix binge 1200 cal. (oops! I mean 1600)
Wednesday 5/30, Hershey's chocolate binge. 600 cal.
Thursday 5/31, chocolate cake 400 cal.

Everytime I started to get "out of control", and I did feel out of control, ( at first I wrote that I was out of control, then rephrased it to feel, because control is a choice, I'm constantly reminding myself of that, to take responsibility) I tried to remember that it was not too late to stop....not too late. Food is only calories, at that point, and I can choose to stop. Choose to walk away. I can control my choices. I need to look at it as controlling choice, not controlling food.

Everytime I started to binge, I walked away long before I wanted to.....long before I wanted to. I wanted to keep eating, at times desperately. I wanted to give in, give up. To give up responsibility. Is that what it's about? Responsiblity?

My journal, my blog, has catapulted my growth to new levels of self awareness. I don't have any expectations of a "cure". But I know that the 10 or so years I spent extremely overweight I felt asleep compared to where I'm at now. Asleep to experiencing life's potential. When I woke up, I started walking, walking away from the confinement of my wall of fat. I now feel like jogging, on the verge of running, not away from, but forward, to life. Being responsible in my life, and for my life. My good life.

Wednesday, Double Swings,Clean Presses, Squats

6:30 KB

Warm up w/12kg

40 2 hand swings 1 min on, 1 min. rest x 4 sets = 8 min.
40 transfers, 1 min. on 1 min. rest x 2 sets = 4 min

Total warm up 12 min.

Work sets w/2 12 kg's

18 double swings, 30 sec.
30 sec. rest
8 double clean, push press, 30 sec.
30 sec. rest
6 double clean, squat, 30 sec.
30 sec rest
6 double swing, dbl. clean press, dbl clean squat combo 1 min.
1 min. rest

All 4 sets done in this order took 5 min. to complete. Rotated 6 times each = 5 x 6= 30 min.

1 bottoms up clean, 1 clean press 5 reps on each side before transfer to other side, 5/5/5/5
2 min. on 1 min. rest x 3 sets = 8 min.

Total workout 50 min.