BREAK THESE CHAINS: (WOD For 101609)

* I am quickly finding out that trying to put a business plan together and scouting out possible locations for our warehouse gym takes a lot of time out of your day.

* Needless to say, 730pm shows up pretty fast when you've got about 1,000 things to do in 24 hrs. (including getting ready for the next day and sleep)

* I had about less than 30min to get my workout in so I decided to try a kettlebell circuit I got from a You Tube post by Zach Even-Esh and David Whitley called a "Kettlebell Chain."

* In the vid, Coach Z states that you need 4 or more kettlebells of ascending weight to really make this effective. I started w/ 16kg, 20kg, 24kg , and a 28kg.

* The series of lifts in the "Chain" are as follows; Snatch, Rack, Strict Press, Clean And Press. Do 1 rep of each exercise on the left then 1 rep of each on the right

* Move to the next heavier kettlebell and repeat the sequence until you move to the top of the "Chain" and work your way back down.

* I threw in some fighter pull ups between chains. I think I got through it 5 time.

* There hardest part for me (other than the lifts themselves) was remembering the order of exercises. You'll see in the video where I stumble forward on the 20kg twice b/c I almost cleaned it instead of snatching it.

THE KETTLEBELL CHAIN

DOUBLE KB LADDERS

WARM UP

5 Wave Squats To YSquat Stand Up
10 Push Ups
10/10 Hurdle Steps
10/10 Halos w/16kg
3 Pumps
* 3 Rounds

STRENGTH

DBL C&P w/ 2x16kg 1,2,3,4,5
                                   1,2,3,4,5
                                   1,2,3,4,5

Ring Pull Up 1,2,3,4,5
                    1,2,3,4,5
                    1,2,3,4,5

COMMENTS

* I missed my bells. I've been doing mostly bw workouts this week. to giv emy body a rest form the the high volume c&p's, swings and snatches of last month. I felt the need to get under a bit of weight. I could have gone for 4 or 5 ladders, but I decided to stop it at three. After all, this was supposed to be a week off.

*Not sure what the  plan will be for the next 4-6weeks, I could either continue on w/ ROP w/ the 27.4kg, or Dbl KB, or I was thinking of follwoing a kb strength program written by Mike Mahler. Either way, I will be working on solid technique and improving my strength and conditioning w/ the kettlebells.

FEB. 2010 RKC, HERE I COME!

I just commited my self to 3 days of PAIN!








WARM UP

Tabata JRope x 8 Rounds
Joint Mobility
Stretching

ROUND 1

10 Wtd Para Push Ups w/ 25lbs
20 Meter Sprint
7 Wtd Para Push Ups w/ 20lbs
20 Meter Sprint
10 Wtd Para Push Ups w/ 10lbs
20 Meter Sprint
7 Para Push Ups
20 Meter Sprint
6 Para Push Ups
20 Meter Sprint
5 Para Push Ups
* 2 Min Rest

ROUND 2

6 Chin Ups

20 Meter Sprint
5 Chin Ups
20 Meter Sprint
4 Chin Ups
20 Meter Sprint
3 Chin Ups
20 Meter Sprint
2 Chin Ups
20 Meter Sprint
1 Chin Up
* 2 Min Rest

ROUND 3

30 Sec Spiderman Plank
30 Sec JRope
30 Sec MC Flex
30 Sec JRope
30 Sec Lt Plank
30 Sec JRope
30 Sec Rt Plank
30 Sec JRope
30 Sec Hanging Leg Raise

COMMENTS

* Signed up for the Feb 2010 RKC in San Jose yesterday. I'm tired right now, but to say the least I'm on a high, not just b/c of the RKC, but more b/c of the fact that I am going to be a daddy. I've got a whole new lease on life. A new reason to be the best that I can be.

* Gonna take a week or two off from the KBs then get back to it like a predator feeding on its prey.

LIGHT PRESS AND PULL WEEK 4

WARM UP

50 JRope
10 DBL KB Squat (2x16kg)
10/10 Halos (6.8kg)
3 Pumps
* 3 Rounds
Joint Mobility

STRENGHT (w/ 24 kg) (w/in 25min)

C&P 1,2,3
         1,2,3
         1,2,3
         1,2,3
         1,2,3
         1,2,3

Pull Ups 1,2,3
              1,2,3
              1,2,3
              1,2,3
              1,2,3
              1,2,3

CONDITIONING

5 Min. KB Snatch Test w/ 24 KG = 76 reps (BOOO!)

COMMENTS

* Felt strong on the presses today. I concentrated on inhaling/exhaling at the right time which helped me stay tight and strong. Shoulders felt great. No pain or tightness afterwards.

* I'm a little upset w/ the snatch numbers today. Did I expect to hit 100? No, but I wanted to be closer than I got. I've got to get those #'s up and I've got to come up with a plan on how to do just that. Now, I'm wondering if the volume of the VWC is taking away from my 5 min snatch test.

Good Eats

BANANA FLAXSEED PANCAKES:

- 1 med banana (mashed)

- 4 Tblsp of Barlean's FortiFlax

- 1 organic omega 3 egg

- 3 x 1/4c All Whites

- 1 Tblsp all natural almond butter

- 1/4c all natural almond milk

- cinnamon and organic stevia to taste

Directions:

-beat egg, almond milk, and all whites until peaks appear. mash banana and mix it w/ the flaxseed, almond butter, cinnamon, and stevia. combine everything until well incorporated.

-pour 1/4c of mixture in pre heated non stick pan set at med-med/lo heat. you may want to spray the pan and spatula w/ a non stick spray. cook on each side until golden brown.

-makes roughly 6 cakes at: 87/4/8/6 per cake.

-i had mine w/ 3/4 cup blueberries, 1 serving of Green Vibrance mixed in spring water, .5 tblsp of bee pollen, two 16 oz glasses of spring water, and my multi v and fish oil.

Rise of The Phoenix

I need to be reborn. It is time to set my past aflame like the plumage of the Phoenix as it's 1,000 year life cycle comes to an end in flames, to ashes, and rekindled anew.

I need to reevaluate my goals in regards to strength training, conditioning, and my career as a personal trainer.

I'm not ashamed to say that I had a "Why the hell am I doing this" moment today. I've been researching different ways of strength training, conditioning, and overall health for a while now.

While researching these different mode and methods, I realized that the traditional ways of working out were not for me. I desired something that was simple, yet it could replace a whole gym membership in one shot. Enter the kettlebell. (no pun intended...OK pun intended) The kettlebell is more than just a cannonball w/ a handle on it. It is a totally body strength and conditioning tool that will fit in the palm of your hand. Now, I have come to realize that it is so much more. The kettlebell is an art form. The kettlebell is a way of life. The kettlebell can save lives.

Are kettlebells the only solution to strength training, conditioning, and overall health? That depends on you, how committed you are to your goals, and how far you are willing to go to reach those goals. So yes it can be. For me, adding Olympic lifts, body weighted exercise, and non traditional modes like sandbags, tires, and sledgehammers made it all the more fun.

What I recently realized, is that I haven't devoted enough time to the both simple and complex kettlebell. Simple in it's design yet complex in it's implementations. I am a practitioner, an enthusiast, but I am , by no means, a master. I want to be a master.

I was recently inspired by a video I have saved on my YouTube subscriptions by Jordan Vezina RKC. If you need help on kettlebell training, watch his videos. Jordan has an amazing gift for breaking the movements down. I think he could teach my mastiff to do a Turkish Get Up if he wanted to.

"DO YOUR SWINGS AND YOUR GET UPS"

After watching this video, for a second time, I realized that I was not on a pathway to the "Elite."
I was going through the motions with no purpose other than improving my strength and conditioning for my career as a fire fighter.

Like the feathers of the Phoenix, my old workout were embedded in my arms, weighing me down, and keeping me anchored to the ground. Not anymore. Come Monday of next week I, the Phoenix, will rise from the ashes and embark on a quest to become an RKC.