One Kettlebell to Rule Them All

Need to get caught up again on my postings. Last week, I got back into my ROP schedule. I did 4×3 presses on Monday for light day, took Tuesday variety day off, did 4×4 presses on Wednesday and took Friday off. I also ended up taking off on Saturday because there was a lot going on with my family.

Thursday I did a Steve Maxwell workout: 10 minutes alternating hack squat and alternating hammer swings, then 15 minutes circuits of crush pushups, plank rows and hot potatoes. Great workout.

Today is variety day again and again, I’m turning to Steve Maxwell. This is a modification of his Thanksgiving Day workout: circuits of deck squats, 6-count burpees, and 1 minute of jumping rope. Great circuit, but shorter than Steve’s.

So sorry everyone. I have been very lax about posting my workouts here. The good news is I still have been working out… just not recording them. Except for the second week in September. I took that time off and it was good for me.

I have been focusing on the Rite of Passage as explained in Enter the kettlebell by Pavel. I have been doing light day on Mondays, Medium on Wednesday or Thursday and Heavy on Saturday. I have been only taking two days per week off, one on Wednesday or Thursday and one on Sunday.

I have been doing lots of different things for variety day (hence the name). I have also been doing a pullup between sets of presses. Yes, A pullup. I am still not to the point where I can do multiple. Weak, I know.

A few weeks ago I worked up to 5 sets of 3 presses on a Heavy day. In fact, I took the 24kg kettlebell to a local high school track and ran (well, jogged) a lap between each set of presses. That was a good workout. It worked out to be 16 laps (2 miles) of jogging.

Last weekend was one of my favorites, too. My family and I were in Park City, UT for a few days and I took the KB with, since we were driving. I was up early and out on the balcony of our rented condo doing my presses and swings. It was a chilly, clear morning and I had a fantastic view of the fall colors on the nearby mountainsides. Fantastic. That day, I did 2 sets of 1,2,3,4, and 3 sets of 1,2,3 presses.

Today, I hit four ladders of 1,2,3,4 which is a new record for me. And 7 minutes of hard swings. My left arm is significantly weaker than my right, and sometimes needs a little boost.

I am leaving on Monday for a 12 day business trip through India, Malaysia and Thailand. I am going to work out when and where I can, but I’m afraid there won’t be much kettlebelling. I’ll keep you posted.

Today is technically a variety day, so I did this workout I read about somewhere.

Sets of two-handed swings alternating with Hindu squats. Start with 50 swings, then 10 squats. Take a one-minute break.

Then do 40 swings, and 20 squats

Then 30 swings, 30 squats

See the pattern? 20 swings, 40 squats

Finally, 10 swings and 50 squats.

It takes 12-15 minutes, but it’s a smoker!

Finished out August with another day of circuits on Thursday, a variety day on Friday and a snatch test on Saturday.

That’s right. As you recall, our goal for the year is to complete the ROP (Rite of Passage) which includes the Secret Service Snatch Test (SSST) by doing 200 snatches with the 24kg kettlebell in 10 minutes. Then pressing half our bodyweight one time with each arm.

We determined it was time to do a benchmark test on the snatch to see where we are. I had gotten up to 120 snatches, just by doing VO2 max and working up to the heavier KB. This test was going to be rep-heavy at the beginning and I was hoping to get to around 160 reps.

It was not to be. I started off strong (as in, my very first set) and dropped precipitously. I ended with 124, only a few over my VO2 max maximum. Still have work to do.

This month will be the official beginning of the ROP program, which is a light-medium-heavy schedule with cleans and presses, then adding in some swings and snatches.

It begins tomorrow.

I left for DC for a few days yesterday, but was able to get in my Tuesday SFP 2.0 workout. Everything went well. Did six sets of six reps each arm with the 24kg kettlebell, and four sets of six with the 16kg.

The run went well, hit the top of the hill at 1:05 but felt like I was taking it easier than that. I should bust it out again and see if I can beat my record of :59.

Today was a scheduled off day, but when I returned to the hotel after meetings, and a lot of eating, I went for a run I estimate at about 5 miles in length. I am accustomed to training at higher altitudes, but that supposed benefit was more than offset by the heat and humidity. It was a tough run, but hopefully I burned a lot of calories, because I sure ate a lot at dinner afterwards!