Thursday, another workout

I will not miss an KB workout! I'm back, and I'm rebuilding my base conditioning and strength. Damn, looking at old video of me swinging the 20kg makes me more anxious to get back fast. Swing, swing, swing....

10:30 KB w/12kg

Warm up

40 2 hand swings, 1 min on, 1 min rest, x 5 sets = 10 min.

Work sets

swing, clean, press, transfer combos x 20, 2 min work,(video demo)
1 min rest

2 hand swing, 2 hand lateral swing,x 20 (40 reps total), 1 min work
1 min rest

Both sets took 5 min. to complete x 6 rotations = 30 min.

Total workout 40 min.

The sw, cl, pr, tr, combo was one of the very first KB combinations I put together, for my own training, the first year I worked with KB's. I remember doing 24 (12 each side, using the 12kg) and that took me 2.5 minutes, I would then rest about 2 min. and repeat 5-6 times...after a warm up of swings sets for at least 5 min. Remember, I wasn't strong enough to do a military press with the 12kg, that's how I got in the habit of "push pressing", and then I just liked the rhythm of PP so I stayed with that movement.

Even though I was only using the 12kg for the 2 hand swings in my work sets, adding in the lateral move is just enough to make it a little tougher, and get your heartrate up a little more!

Life is good. Swing, Swing, Swing....get lean, lean, lean!

Tracy's All Day Lunch 01/23 (+ 400 swings and 100 snatches!)

I've been working on trying to eat some of the "stash" in my freezer, so I pulled out this veg soup with roasted corn and roasted jalapenos from, oh I don't know, maybe last Sept, I remembered it was an exceptionally good batch, I don't know why I saved it for so long!

I've been taking too much freedom in my diet lately, but it's back to more planning, and control.

Menu

veg soup with chicken, corn and jalapeno 350 cal.
rainbow coleslaw w/chicken breast and spicy peanut dressing 450 cal
lg fuji apple 120 cal.
carrots, celery, PNB (1 tbl.), raisins 230 cal.
nonfat yogurt and homemade strawberry jam 220 cal.

Add in morning coffee w/cream 80 cal.
chips & crackers (free food in the kitchen @ work, drats!) 250 cal.
2 carmel & 1 chocolate candy 150 cal. (again....free @ work)
subtract the apple

Total calories 1680

Although I did eat some chips and candy, I was still within my range of calories and I was able to have just small servings. I'm pretty motivated to get my bodyfat back down to where it was this past summer...we'll see just how motivated I am!

In my kitchen while straining chicken stock, pressure cooking and doing dishes I managed to get in 400 swings and 100 snatches w/8kg (18lbs), here's what I did;

7:00am KB

40 transfers, 10 R, 10 L snatches, 40 transfers x 10 sets

I did not time any of the sets, but I was in the kitchen for about 50-60 minutes, so every 4-6 minutes I did a set, each sets should of taken about 2-3 min.

I will never chose to miss a KB workout!

Show Up, Shut Up, and Do The Work

Before I post my actual workout, the point I want to make is that, the most important part of any training program, not just when you are a beginner, is to show up consistently, and do the work, consistently. It's not always fun, especially in the beginning while we get in the habit of adding yet another thing to our busy lives, in my case the KB exercise options are limited because I can't snatch heavy overhead,(not even the 12kg yet), for at least another week, so I have to rebuild my base training with swings, and that can get boring when workouts can last 45 minutes!

But I'm not complaining at all! I love it, because I know what the pay off is! If I could do nothing more than 2 handed swings, I would do hundreds...one after another...varying the reps, weights, intensity of movement, etc. Sometimes the challenge is the boredom of high reps!

Starting again with my training is exciting because I should be able to make some big changes in my body quickly, and I know how to do it! Even though my body is basically the same size and weight as pre-op, I know, and can feel the details of the differences. For instance, my butt disappeared! Mark said to me, "Last on, first off!" I'm still carrying a lot of bloat around my midsection and now that I can work up a good sweat (I get to go back to Bikram yoga on Monday!), I'll combine some long sweaty workouts with a better diet to get back to my former leanness.

11:00am KB
AM weight 133.0

Warm up

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

Work sets (2 hand swing ladders)

10 reps per weight, 12, 14, 16, 14, 12kg (50 reps), 1.5 min work
1 min rest
10 reps per weight, 16, 14, 12, 14, 16kg (50 reps), 1.5 min work
1 min rest (video demo #1)

Alternating these 2 sets 6x each = 30 min.

20 reps per, 12, 14, 16kg, 1.5 min work
1 min rest
20 reps per, 16, 14, 12kg, 1.5 min work,
1 min rest (video demo #2)

Last 2 sets = 5 min Total workout 45 min.

I got distracted with emails, phone calls etc. and didn't get to this workout until much later in the morning than I wanted to, but as I've said in the past...I will never chose to miss a KB workout....never!

Life is good.

PS this is the first workout post op swinging the 16kg!

Swing squat ladders

Sunday KB 1 1/2 minute sets

Warm up w/12kg

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

Work sets w/12kg

2 hand swing/squat ladder, 1-5, 5-1,(video demos this set), 1.5 min. work,
1 min. rest
60 transfers, 1.5 min. work,
1 min. rest
5/5 1 hand swings x 6 (60 reps trans. on every 5th rep), 1.5 min work,
1 min. rest

I alternated these 3 work sets x 5. All three took 7.5 min. to complete x 5 = 37.5 min.

Total workout 47.5 min.

In the last rotation I switched out 60, 2 hand swings for the swing/squat ladder. It is the first time I've squatted any weight since my surgery and I didn't want to push it.

Swing ladder with snatch

Friday AM weight 130.8
BF 20.6%
KB swing ladder, snatch w/8kg

Warm up w/8kg (18lbs)

80 2 hand swings, 2 min work, 1 min rest x 3 sets = 9 min.

Work sets

swing ladder 1 - 6, 6 - 1 divided by 1 snatch, 3.5 min work,
1 min rest (video demos ladder 1-4 only)
40 transfers w/12kg, 1 min work
3 sec rest
40 2 hand swings 1 min work,
30 sec rest

Repeat in this order 4x. 7.5 min x 4 = 30 min.

Total workout 39 min.

I'm working on building my base training back up before I pick up the 16kg, so I'm swinging the lighter weights for longer sets and shorter rest periods. I felt so good that I think I'll be able to train with the 16kg next week...if only for 30 sec sets, I'm weeks away from snatching it.

PS Thank you Diana for reminding me of "ladders" (from her own training) and I am aware of the miscount on at the end of the exercise....Mark and I are kind of infamous for our counting ability!

Home Cooking

I've been pressure cooking so much lately I forgot about roasting! These are the baby carrots I picked up from the Farmers market on Sunday. I had forgotten about them until I opened up my crisper and saw these beautiful carrots already washed and trimmed so I had to throw them in the oven...but not alone! I had at least a pound of shallots and I always have garlic, so all three went on a sheet pan, tossed with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes, in my oven for 50-60 min. @ 350. "Hard" veggies like brussels, carrots, califlower, I cover with foil for the first 15 min., then I remove the foil for the remaining time.


I took these veggies, as you see them in the picture, to a friends house for an early dinner and cooking lesson. We tossed the carrots, shallots and garlic with spinach noodles and a little parmesean. The extra carrots, the ones lined up on the right side, can be used another time....in a salad, maybe another pasta dish or alone as a side. My friend had some chicken breast meat so we quickly sauteed 2 breasts, and I just sliced them and laid the chicken on top of the pasta. We made a quick ceasar salad (dressing too, of course), and our own croutons. Yum! Baked apples completed the meal!

Home cooking is good, life is good!

First Snatch Workout / post op

Wow! I woke up feeling strong and motivated. I've been taking it easy these last few days trying to not overdo so I can get back to business. No soreness in my upper abdominals so I decided to try snatching the 8kg...it was fine....and....I actually got some video! Mark will upload it when he gets home this afternoon.

Warm up

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

Work sets

12/12 snatch w/8kg (video shows this set), 1 min work,
30 sec rest
20 2 hand swings w/12kg,
30 sec rest
40 transfers w/12kg, 1 min work,
1 min rest

All three sets took 4.5 min to complete. I alternated them 5x = 22 min

Total workout 32 min.

Woo hoo.... life is good!