June 2013 Training Log

June 30- LCCJ, 2x24k: 6m @ 4rpm = 24 reps.  3 sets of 1m jerks @ 12rpm, 1m rest, 1m cleans @ 12rpm. 

June 29- no training

June 28- Chin ups: 7,6,6,5,4 = 28.  Dip: 7,6,6,5,4= 28.  Pistols: 5,4,3,2,2 = 16.

June 27- Chin ups: 7,6,5,5,4 = 27.  Dips: 7,6,5,5,4 = 27. Pistol squats: 5,4,3,2,1 = 15.  Long cycle clean and jerk: 1m, 3m @ 6rpm; 1m, 5m @ 4rpm.  Total: 50 reps, 10m work.  6 rpm is not letting me breathe enough to keep going, so I'm going to build some volume with 4 rpm.

June 26- no training today.

June 25- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x24k: 5m @ 6rpm = 30 reps. Pulse at end of set: 192 bpm. Estimated calories- about 100.  Nordic Track: 20m.  Estimated calories- about 350.  Tilled garden with a beast of a rear tine tiller for 45 minutes.  Came back later and did chins: 7,6,5,4,4 = 26; dips; 7,6,5,4,4 = 26; pistol squats: 4,4,3,2 = 13.

June 24- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x24k: 5m @ 6 rpm.  Nordic Track: 25m (+- 450 calories).  Worked up a good sweat.  Chin ups: 7,6,5,4,3 = 25.  Dips: 7,6,5,4,3 = 25.  Pistols: 4,3,3,2 = 12 per leg.  Bodyweight stuff was pretty hard right after kettlebells and cardio, but I wanted to do it all in one session and hit the showers. 

June 23- no training.  Some yard work.

June 22- Bodyweight 187.  Nordic Track- 30 minutes.  Heart rate at conclusion was 174.  Calculator estimates 565 calories burned.   Chin ups: 6,6,5,4,3 = 24.  Dips: 6,6,5,4,3.  Pistols: 4,3,2,2 = 11 per leg.

June 21- Bodyweight 185.5.  Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x20k: 8m @ 6 rpm = 48 reps.  Having real trouble trying to hit 10m @ 6rpm.  I've done this many times before, but just don't have it in me these last two sessions.  I've cut out the three 30-minute sessions I was doing each week on the Nordic Track leading up to the meet, and my endurance has gone straight downhill.  At least I know  how to fix it.  Chin ups: 6,5,5,4,3 = 23.  Dips: 6,5,5,4,3 = 23.  Pistols: 4,3,2,1 =10 per leg.

June 20- Bodyweight 186.  Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x20k: 5@ 6 rpm =30reps.  2x24k: 2m @ 6 rpm.  2x28k: 5,4,3,2,1 reps @ 5rpm pace.

June 19- Chin ups: 6,5,4,4,3 = 22.  Dips: 6,5,4,4,3 = 22.  Pistols: 3,3,2 = 8 per leg.  Bodyweight: 186.

June 18- Chin ups: 6,5,4,3,3 = 21.  Dips: 6,5,4,3,3 = 21.  Pistols: 3,2,2 = 7 per leg. Played around with Steinborn squats @ 135.  Several sets of 5, just getting a feel for loading and unloading the bar. Gave blood in the afternoon.  Blood pressure was 96/68, pulse was something in the 60's.  Kettlebell training pays off.

June 17- Chin ups: 6,5,4,3,2 = 20.  Dips: 6,5,4,3,2 = 20.  Pistols: 3,2,1 = 6 per leg.  Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x20k: 10m @ 6 rpm = 60 reps.  Stretched and rolled.  Some Roman chair work on the tire.

June 16- no training.  Father's day.  Got "The Stick" rolling device as a gift from a friend.

June 15-  No training scheduled, but did an impromptu chin up test.  10 reps.

June 14- 186 pounds today, 20% body fat.  Plan to do long cycle.  We'll see how the knee feels.
Chin ups: 5,5,4,3,2; dips: 5,5,4,3,2.  Doing the fighter pullup program to increase dips and chins for the next five or six weeks, with a goal of reaching 15 of each.  Started at the same point with pistols, but it's too much.  I need to do lower reps on the pistol- this is too close to failure.   Came back later and did long cycle clean and jerk- 2x16k: 10m @ 8rpm = 80 reps.

I've set a goal to hit a given rep count 5 times in a two week period before I move to the next.  I've hit 80 reps 5 times in 2 weeks with 16k.  I'll start Monday with 2x20k @ 6rpm.  When I hit 60 reps 5 times in 2 weeks, I'll bump to 70 or 80 reps.

June 13- chin ups: 5,4,4,3,2,1; dips: 5,4,4,3,2.  Squats @ 185- 5,4,4,3,2.  Twisted my right knee out of joint today working on a project, so no pistols. Back squats felt okay.

June 12- Chin ups: 5,4,3,3,2; dips: 5,4,3,3,2.  Long Cycle clean and jerk- 2x16k: 10m @ 8 rpm= 80 reps.  One more set of 80, and I'll bump up to 2x20k: 10m @ 6rpm.  Mowed grass and worked in the yard for a few hours.

June 11- Chin ups: 5,4,3,2,1; dips: 5,4,3,2,1; pistols: 5,4,3,2,1.

June 10- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x16k- 10m @ 8rpm = 80 reps.  Chin ups- 5,4,3,2,2; dips- 5,4,3,2,2; pistols- 5,4,3,2,2 per leg.

June 9- Chin ups- 5,4,3,2,1; Dips- 5,4,3,2,1; Pistols- 5,4,3,2,1 per leg.  50 pushups in sets of 10.

June 8- no training today, but spent the entire day out in the sun, on my feet.

June 7- no training

June 6- no training.

June 5- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x16k- 10m @ 8rpm = 80 reps.  Humid, sticky, and tough on the hands, even with chalk.  Finished with some basic kettlebell calisthenics: around the body pass, figure 8 to a hold, and windmills.  Shoulders took quite a bit of warming up.  I bench pressed yesterday, and shoulders hurt today.  Just like every other time I've ever bench pressed. 

June 4- Barbell squat- 1 set of 5 @ 135, 5 sets of 2 @ 225.  Bench press: 2x5@ 135.  Deadlift: 5 singles @ 275.  Later in the evening, spent about an hour coaching a friend in the biathlon lifts.

June 3- Long Cycle clean and jerk, 2x16k: 10m @ 8rpm= 80 reps.  Rested a few minutes, then 15 reps long cycle with 2x28, in doubles and triples.  No rush, just working a little heavier.

June 2- No serious training.  Calves very sore from running Warrior Dash, but not as bad as last year.  Swam for about 30 minutes.

June 1- Ran Warrior Dash with a friend.  About a mile and a half in, I told her to go ahead, because I could not keep up and needed to walk a little.  She runs, I don't.  I ran about 1.5 miles at a 10:00 mile pace, for about 15 minutes, which is pretty consistent with my kettlebell training.  At the end of the race, she was stuck in the final mud pit for quite some time.  I managed to get past her, and many other people, by being more aggressive and stronger.  The mud was like crawling through a pit of peanut butter two feet deep.  Many people could not move in it at all, they were simply too weak.  This was not my friend's problem.  She was strong enough to move, but not aggressive enough to push past people.  In the end, strength and a warrior mindset won the day.

Post-Meet Reflection Part Deux: Running the Numbers

I’ve had a chance to reflect more on my personal performance at the kettlebell meet last week- to look a little more objectively at what I wanted and what I actually did on the platform.  Yes, I was disappointed in myself when I put down the kettlebells.  I wanted 50 reps, and I got 45, plus a no-count.  John and Mike told me as soon as I could stand up again that I was making it look so easy, that they were shocked when I quit.  Andy, a friend at church, saw the video and jumped on me as well- “you just quit!  You had two more minutes, and you just quit because it was too hard!  What kind of a man are you?”  Don’t get me wrong- I want my friends to push me and hold me to a high standard.  As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.  Without their friction, I won’t get sharper.  I appreciate their honesty and their high standards.  I don't want losers for friends.  I want friends who push themselves as hard as they push me.

That said, let’s run the numbers.  My previous best was 41 clean and jerks, in just over 8 minutes.  Saturday I did 46 clean and jerks, in just over 8 minutes.  One was a no count for a fast drop, but I cleaned it and jerked it, so it counts in terms of total work capacity.  I wanted 50 reps going in.  In round numbers, that’s a 20% improvement.  I wanted to do 20% more reps than I did less than a month ago, which was my all-time best with this weight.   Is that a realistic goal?  Of course not.  At my age, with this weight, as long as I’ve been training, 20% jumps just don’t happen.  So what did I do?  I made a 12% improvement, and got 90% of my goal.  I did 46 clean and jerks in the time it previously took me to do 41.  A 12% improvement is great- I’ll take it, and I’ll quit beating myself up for not hitting 50.  Fifty reps was never a realistic goal to start with.

Speaking of numbers, I should have been lifting 20k’s. I psyched myself up for this meet- “I’m finally lifting greens!”, but I was not ready to make a strong showing with greens, so I came and put up a mediocre performance. I’ve hit 70 reps twice with the 20k’s, and 60 reps probably 8 or 10 times.  I’m just now getting decent numbers with purples- what made me think I could do well with greens?

So what’s next?  I’m going back to purples, and working on owning 80 reps.  The most progress I’ve ever made, was made using a template someone else had written, telling me every rep and set to do for 6 weeks.  It was not creative or imaginative or fun.  It got boring.  It also took me from 56 jerks with 2x20k to 81 in six weeks.  Right after I finished, I hit CMS in the single clean and jerk.  Who needs fun, imagination, or creativity when you can have results?  When I can consistently hit high reps with the 20k’s, I’ll think about the greens again, and when I do, I’ll be a far better athlete for it.

I got Thierry Sanchez’ new long cycle program, called “Bogatyr Rising”.  It looks great on paper- increasing time and density, first with shorter intervals, then with longer sets.  Rudnev recommends the same approach.  I may substitute some bodyweight stuff for the barbell assistance lifts- I’d rather hone my pistol and one arm pushup right now than my back squat and bench press, but like Thierry says- don’t sweat it.  It’s assistance work, not powerlifting.  The substance of my training will be his long cycle progression, and long cycle-specific assistance lifts.  I thrive on a program that says “just do this”.  I do it, check it off, and hit the showers.  Left to myself, I get creative in my training, which means I get inconsistent. 

My next meet will probably be in Atlanta on August 18, exactly three months after this last meet.  Will I be lifting greens then?  I don’t know, and at this point, I don’t care.  I’ve got my hands full with purple. 

Throwdown Meet

Reflecting on the kettlebell meet I attended, a few thoughts come to mind.  The meet was professionally run, and every athlete was a great sport.  That said, I learned a few things.

My first observation is about intestinal fortitude.  Guts.  Some people have it in greater measure than others.  Example 1: Grace.  Grace is 16, and has trained kettlebells for three weeks.  She competed with the 8k in the biathlon.  She had rudimentary technique, which resulted in several no counts, but she gutted it out to the finish in both sets.  Toward the end, her discomfort was evident, tears of pain and frustration were flowing, and she was ready to quit, but she didn’t.  She stayed in the set.  Example 2: me.  I had a strong set- 45 reps and a no count in 8 minutes.  That’s a PR for reps and time for me, so I have reason to be happy with it.  However, I terminated the set early.  John and Josh said I looked so strong, that they were shocked that I put down the bells and walked off the platform.  Watching the video, they were right.  My technique was not deteriorating.  There was no localized fatigue that forced me to stop. I could have gone on.  It was just too hard, so I quit.  No excuses.  It got hard, and I quit.  I need more conditioning, but I also need more courage and guts. 

I also observed several new GS athletes who were obviously great athletes.  They were in great shape, with lots of muscle, and very well conditioned.  Most of them were lifting lighter bells, because they were not ranked yet.  They used hardstyle or Crossfit technique, with a focus on power, not efficiency.  About two minutes in, they each got the same expression of their face: “What have I gotten myself into?”  Even though they were strong athletes, they really struggled with a ten minute set, even with 12k bells.  Much respect to people who are clearly great athletes, but it was clear that smaller, lighter athletes were outlifting them in this context.    Lesson?  In GS, strength and conditioning are not enough.  Technique rules.  Specifically, several of these athletes did not rest, did not support the bells on the body, lowered the bells instead of dropping them, and used a lot of arm and shoulder power.  There are differences in lifting styles- some are more conducive to strength, conditioning, and adding muscle mass, but they don't result in more reps on the platform.  The stronger lifter does not win- the better lifter wins.  I need to become a more technical lifter, particularly as I age.  I'm reaching the age where I can't muscle the bells around.

My first kettlebell meet was in Atlanta, at Scott Shetler’s gym in 2010.  I competed in StrongSport with the 36k.  Among competitors in biathlon and long cycle, the heaviest bells lifted were 20k, by Josh Dunn.  As I recall, one man lifted 16k’s, and most men lifted 12k’s.  Three years later, at this meet, two men lifted 28k’s, three lifted 24k’s, and lots of guys lifted 20k’s.  The sport is improving.  Competitions are getting harder.  That’s good news.

One more observation.  Three years ago, I was playing around with StrongSport at that meet in Atlanta. Josh Dunn was lifting 20k’s.  I’ve played around with a lot of things since then, and I’m just now in the mid 40’s with the 24k bells.  Josh is about to hit CMS, doing 20% more reps with 56k than I can do with 48k, and he’s two weight classes below me.  Who is making progress?  The guy who keeps doing the same thing over and over, consistently, for years.  Who is playing catch up?  The guy who plays around with different things from one training cycle to the next.   Coincidence? I think not. 

Lessons learned: guts, technique, and consistency leads to great kettlebell lifting, and I need a lot more of each.

May Training Log 2013

May 31- Long cycle clean and jerk- 2x16k- 10m, alternating between 6rpm and 8 rpm, for 70 reps.  Some pullups afterward.

May 30- no time to train, but did about six hours of construction work in 80+ degree heat.

May 29- Long cycle clean and jerk: 2x16k- 10m @ 6 rpm= 60 reps. Mowed for about 30 minutes.

May 28- Long cycle clean and jerk: 2x20k- 5m @ 6 rpm = 30 reps; 2x16k- 3m @ 8rpm; 2x12k: 5m @ 10rpm.  Some pistols and pullups. 30 minutes mowing.

May 27- day off from training.

May 26- First real day back in training.  Long Cycle clean and jerk, 2x20k: 8 sets of 1:00 @ 8rpm, 1m rest = 64 reps.  Chest bumps, 2x24k: 2m @ 16rpm.  Half snatch, 24k- 5m @ 12 rpm, 1 hand switch = 30/30.  Practiced pistols, close pushups, pullups.

May 19-25- lay off week.

May 18- Kettlebell meet in Charlotte.  Got 45 (46 with a no-count) reps in long cycle with 2x24k.  A new PR.

May 17- no training.

May 16- had planned to take the day off from physical activity to rest for the meet, but cut down trees with a chainsaw instead.

May 15- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x24- 3:20 @ 6 rpm= 20 reps. After about six hours of construction and yard work in 80+ degree heat.  Pretty tired.  Did 8 1m sets of 2x24k work- some cleans @ 12rpm, jerks @ 8rpm, long cycle @ 6 & 8rpm.  1m rest between sets; just working volume and technique.

May 14- Long cycle clean and jerk- 2x20k- 10m @ 6rpm, then practiced double cleans for sets of 5-7 with 28k and 32k bells.

May 13- no serious training.  Up all night with a stomach bug. Did a couple hours of yard work.

May 12- day off from training

May 11- out of the house all day long with Dawn at festival, selling soap.  Practiced pistols- probably 20 per leg. 

May 10- Long Cycle clean and jerk, 2x24k: 4m @ 6rpm x 2, 4m rest.  Started a third set of 4m, but put the bells down at 1:30.  57 reps total.   Rested a few minutes then 2x28k: 1m @ 6rpm x 3, 1m rest.  20 minute ice bath.

May 9- Turkish get up, 24k- 5 minutes.  Singles per arm @ 28k and 32k.  Nordic Track: 25 minutes.  Assorted chin ups and pull ups.  Stretching.

May 8- Long cycle clean and jerk- 2x24k: 3m @ 6rpm x 4. 72 reps total. Felt strong through the first three sets, fourth set was tough, but manageable.  Ramping up to longer sets for the meet on May 18.  Did today's sets with a thumbs-forward clean, as opposed to thumbs-back, as I've been used to doing.  This shortens the stroke of the clean, and allows a narrower stance, which helps the jerk. So far so good.   15 minute ice bath.

May 7- Turkish get up, 16k- 5 minutes.  Mowed yard for 51 minutes.

May 6- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x24k- 2m @ 6rpm x 6, 2m rest. 72 reps.  One arm jerk, 28k- 3m @ 12 rpm = 18 reps per arm.  Chest bump, 2x28k: 1.5m, 1m @ 12rpm = 30 reps.

May 4, 5- no training.  Lots of extra work, late nights, eating out.

May 3- Long cycle clean and jerk, 2x24k: 3m, 2m, 1m @ 6rpm, 3m rest between sets.  5 sets of 1m on, 1m off, 8rpm, 2x24k.  76 reps total. Finished with 2m of one arm jerks with 24k @ 12rpm, and 1m of 2x24k chest bumps @ 16rpm. Later, practiced pistols.

May 2- Nordic Track- 30 m. Helped a friend move for 2 hours.

May 1- Double Jerk, 2x24k: 4m @ 6rpm= 24 reps.   Long cycle, 2x24k- 6m@ 6rpm = 36 reps.

Weight Log for May 18 Meet

One of the main reasons to compete in a sport is to provide accountability for progress.  On a certain date, you have to show up, weigh in and lift.  Titles, medals, and personal pride on the line.  Friends watching, results published.  Anyone can work out, but athletes come to point where they have to show what they've got.  My next such event is in 22 days, on May 18.  This post is a log to track my weight.  I've let my eating go, and put on a few pounds in the last few weeks.

My immediate goal is to get back under 187 pounds (85k).  My long term goal is to make 80k (under 176 lb.) at the meet.  If I can get under 80k, then I only need 60 reps to rank in both WKC and USAKL, and I'm much more comfortable at a 6rpm pace than 8rpm, particularly with the 24k's.

Time to lay it all out: Today I'm 190, so I need to lose 5 pounds for my immediate goal, and 15 pounds in 22 days for my long term goal. My bodyfat is 22%, so I'm carrying almost 42 pounds of fat.  From a bodyfat/calorie perspective, I need to create a deficit of 52,500 calories in 22 days, or 2,386 calories a day.  This sounds quite high, but I also know that funny things happen when I drop white carbs and dairy, and chug water.  I've dropped 6 pounds in a week doing the slow-carb diet before, and I know I did not have a deficit of 3,000 calories a day.  My body seems to respond well to moderate amounts of clean, healthy food. 

Date:                 Weight:
4/26                    190
4/27                    188.25
4/28                    188
4/29                    187
4/30                    187.25
5/1                      188- moving the wrong direction!
5/2                      187
5/3                      186
5/4                      185.5- Down four and half pounds in nine days.  Not bad, but not moving fast enough for my goal.  I need another 11 pounds in 14 days.
5/5-                     did not weigh. 
5/6                      188.  Really bad weekend, diet-wise.  Had to eat out several times, and attend a graduation reception.  I also ate and drank a little before I weighed, so it may read a little high.  Hopefully, this will come off in the next day or so.
5/7                      186
5/8                      188
5/9                      188 
5/10                    186
5/15                    185- a little lax in weighing the last few days.  I'll make 85k no problem, but definitely not 80k.  Bodyfat: 17.5%, which means I've lost 10 pounds of fat in about 3 weeks, and gained some muscle.  This explains a lot: I've mostly eaten very well, but have not seen the weight come off.  During this time, I've also transitioned to the 24k kettlebells after seldom using them.  I've been burning fat, but I've also put on muscle, adapting to the new bells.
5/16                   187- salty pizza for lunch- it's staying with me!

5/18- meet day!  Weighed 184.5 in my underwear at home, and my official weigh in weight with t shirt and sweatpants was 84.2k, or just over 185.  Made my weight class.  Ate some pizza, a hamburger, and a doughnut after the meet, just because I could.  I'd still like to get to 175, so I'll get back on the wagon!
 

70 reps, 2x20k

Today I hit a new PR- 70 reps with 2x20 in the long cycle.  Rather than do 7 rpm, I alternated 6rpm and 8rpm.  This lets me get accustomed to the faster pace, while allowing some slower minutes to keep me moving.

Long Cycle 66 reps 20k

66 reps with 2x20k.  A new best, and good for rank 2 with the WKC.  Now I am qualified to lift the 24k's in Charlotte in May, if I'm up for it.  This set was tough.

Once more, the video did not post:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKmS14D8JcU&feature=youtu.be

This set is good for Rank 2 from the World Kettlebell Club, which qualifies me to lift the 24k's at the ATC Throwdown in May.