January 31- woke up sick. Went to urgent care. Tested negative for strep, but I think I have it. Deadlift: 225 lb. for 5 singles.
January 30- 182.5 lb. Hiked in the woods for 75 minutes tracking a fox I shot last night beside the chicken coop. Did not find it. Deadlift: 5 singles at 225 lb.
January 29- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 10m @ 7 rpm = 70 reps. 78 reps total volume. This session was tough on my grip endurance. Later, 30 pushups. In the evening, 5 deadlift singles @ 205 lb.
January 28- 182.5 lb. Pushups: drop set of 25 pushups, then 5x5 knee pushups with a few breaths between sets. Swings, 28k: 10 1-arm swings on the minute for 12m = 120 swings.
January 27- Clean and press, 18k: 15m @ 8rpm = 120 reps. 60 swings, cleans, and presses per arm. Deadlift: 5 easy singles @ 205. I'm doing these deadlifts to counteract the sitting that I do working online all day. The plan is to keep doing easy singles with this weight. When it becomes ridiculously easy, I'll add a little weight. I'd like to bring my deadlift back up to a respectable level, but I'm not in a hurry, so I'm taking an "easy strength" approach.
January 26- 181.5 lb. Deadlift: 205 lb.: 5 easy singles.
January 25- 181.75 lb. Deadlift, 205 lb.: 5 easy singles. Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 10m @ 7rpm (8rpm last minute) = 71 reps. Total volume: 79 reps. Rested 5m, then 12m of swings with a 28k Kettlebell. 5 1-arm swings on :00 and :30. 120 swings. Rested 3m, then curls in the bottom goblet squat position, 18k: 2 x 10. French press, 18k: 2x10. Rested about 20 minutes, then finished with a pushup drop set: 25 regular pushups followed by 25 knee pushups, done in short sets with a breath or two between. Later that night, went to the gym and spent 20 minutes in the sauna.
January 24- Deadlift, 205 lb. 5 easy singles.
January 23- One arm pushups: 3 singles per arm. Deadlift, 205 lb.: 5 easy singles. Shoveled snow for about 90 minutes at easy/moderate pace. Swings: 40k, 2-hand, hardstyle: 5 swings on the minute for 20 minutes = 100 swings. Another variation of "lazy endurance". Average heart rate: 135.
January 22- 180.5 lb. Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 7m @ 7rpm (8rpm last minute) = 50 reps. 58 reps total. Rested about 25 minutes, then came back for some bodyweight training. Pushup drop sets: 3 single 1-arm pushups per arm, then 25 pushups, then 25 knee pushups (in sets of 5 with a few breaths between sets). Squats: 5 pistol squats per leg, then 50 air squats.
January 20- 182.5 lb. Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 11m @ 6rpm = 66 reps. 74 reps total. Felt good overall, but felt it most in the grip. I'm missing the dips and chins, but my power tower is at the camper, and it's been in the 20's everyday, so I have not been staying there. I'll get back to these when it warms up a little. Meanwhile, some high rep bodyweight stuff. Did a pushup drop set: 25 regular pushups, then 25 knee pushups. 50 air squats. I need to figure out an easy upper body pull I can do for high reps.
January 19- A little different training today. Did 5 1-arm hardstyle swings on the minute for 22 minutes with a 32k. 110 swings in 22m. Average hr: 136. Based on my training lately, this was a "heavy" Kettlebell. Finished with 3 clean and press singles per side with the 32k. Right arm went up, left arm struggled. Al Ciampa on the Strongfirst forum has referenced an "aerobic and alactic" training protocol of 5 heavy swings on the minute for up to an hour. He calls it "lazy endurance". I can see how this could yield gains in strength and power as well as aerobic endurance. I may work up to an hour using a lighter bell and see how it feels. I need something to pass for steady-state cardio in this cold weather.
January 18- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 6rpm, 2m @ 6rpm. Work set: 10m @ 6rpm = 60 reps. 78 reps total. Felt strong, recovered quickly. Followed with a few easy clean and presses with 18k.
January 16- Went shooting- pistol and wobble trap. Active, but easy. Tried a little training, but did not feel it. A couple of minutes long cycle with 2x16k @ 8rpm and 2x18k @ 6rpm, but just not there. Came back later and did 24k swings: 1 on the :00 and :30 for 10 minutes = an easy 100 reps.
January 15- Clean and presses with an 18k bell. 10m @ 10rpm, switching hands every rep. Two hand cleans for faster pace, instead of swing between reps.
January 14- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 6rpm. Work set: 10m @ 6rpm = 60 reps. Acclimating well to the 18k bells. Probably a few more sessions @ 6rpm, then I'll start increasing pace. 30 knee pushups. A few easy curls in the bottom goblet squat position, 18k. A few hours later, some bodyweight training and kata. Taegeuk 1-8 and Koryo, alternated with 3 easy chins and 3 dips between forms. 9 forms, 27 dips, 27 chins, spread over about 20 minutes.
January 13- 181.5 lb. No serious training today. A single set of 40 knee pushups.
January 12 182.25 lb. Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x18. Warm up: 1m @ 6rpm. Work set: 10m @ 6rpm = 60 reps. Conditioning was fine, felt it in my grip endurance somewhat. Slowly increasing volume with 18ks- did 50 reps with 2 bells on 1/7, then 56/56 with a single bell yesterday, then 60 reps with doubles today. Felt good. Rested and worked on my Kettlebell rack, then did a clean and press chain: single reps with 12k, 16k, 18k, 24k, 28k. Three times through, for 15 total clean and presses at an average weight of 19.6k, or 43 lb. Everything was pretty easy today.
January 11- 182.5 lb. Still acclimating to the 18k bells. Long Cycle Clean and Jerk, 2x18k. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 3m @ 8rpm = 24 reps. Rested 2m, then single clean and jerk, 18k: 14m @ 8rpm, 1 hand switch = 56L/56R. Pulse 168. About 250 calories burned.
January 9- bodyweight training in the morning: 5m each of chin-ups (25), air squats (75), and dips (30). Mostly singles and doubles for chins, triples and doubles for dips. About 70% effort.
January 8- 183.75 lb. again. Today's training: clean and press with 18k Kettlebell. 20m @ 8rpm, switching hands with a swing every rep. 160 swing, clean and presses. Heart rate: 168. About 350 calories burned.
January 7- First session with 18k kettlebells. Long cycle clean and jerk. Warm up: 1m @ 8 rpm. Work set: 6:15 @ 8rpm = 50 reps. Overall, an easy set. Felt the extra weight in the grip primarily. Stopped at 50 reps- just getting acclimated to the weight. I'm in no hurry. Later, superset dips and chins: singles and doubles, for 5m. 16 dips, 16 chins.
January 6- 181.5 lb. Weight is headed in the right direction again. 18k kettlebells arrived today. Will probably train with them tomorrow.
January 5- 18k bells have still not arrived. Used the 16k's for long cycle. Warm up: 1m @ 8rpm. Work set: 10m @ 8rpm = 81 reps. This made my 13th set of 80+ reps with 2x16k in the last 4 months, in addition to shorter sets. Rested 2m, then did 10 swings on the minute with a 24k Kettlebell for 10m. Finished with 2x12 curls in the bottom goblet squat position with a 16k, then 2x12 French presses, 16k.
January 4- Went to the gym early. Rowed on the Concept II for 25 minutes, with an average HR of about 125. About 287 calories burned. 10m in the sauna.
January 3- no training
January 2- 183.75 lb.
January 1- 184 lb. I've been eating out too much this last week, and am paying the price. Ordered a pair of 18k kettlebells two weeks ago, but they have still not arrived. Today's training: single clean and jerk, 12k. 30m @ 12 rpm, switching hands every :30 (6 reps). 360 continuous reps. Heart rate: 150. Calories burned: about 450. This was a great cardio session- no strain on anything in particular because the weight was light, but the speed made for a good workload. Stopped at 30m because I'm not acclimated to higher reps, but could have kept going. Not a max set.
