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.

C&P 2 X 1,2,3 and 3 X 1,2,3,4 w/24kg

Pullpus 2 X 1,2,3 and 3 X 1,2,3,4

Swings – 4 min w/32kg

Good workout, felt strong throughout:

C&P 5 X 1,2 w/24kg

Pullups 5 X 1,2

Swings 8 min, medium effort w/32kg

Back from a week of vacation in New Orleans, no workouts, but plenty of food… will pay for that over the next few weeks.

Today was Day 1 of ROP.

5 X 1 with 24kg kettlebell

8 minutes of easy snatches – am focusing on my form, have realized my drop is not very good and its both slowing me down and eating my hands up