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.