Playing With My Bells: September 2009

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

WOD: Jerks and Cleans Is All

Warmup

2 rounds of:

-5 pullups

-10 situps

-5 dips

Workout

10 rounds of the following (1 min rest between all sets)

-10 double jerks (35 lb)

-10 double cleans (35 lb)

Results

-wish I could've gone a little heavier, but don't have the bells

-great grip/forearm workout

-simple but a little boring

Monday, September 28, 2009

WOD: A Little Monday Tabata

Warmup

-10 deadlifts

-20 swings

-10 SDHP Snatch

Workout

4 rounds of this rotating tabata (using 24kg bell):

-swings

-goblet squat

-situp

-figure 8s

Results

-as usual, tougher than I thought it would be

-definitely felt it in the abs

-still trying to get back into the swing of things after vacation (pun intended)

Saturday, September 26, 2009

WOD: Cindy

Warmup

-just normal stretching

Workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 min

-5 pullups

-10 pushups

-15 squats

Results

-14 rounds + 5 pullups & 9 pushups

-jumping pullups started in 8th round

-after a week of R&R at the beach

Saturday, September 19, 2009

WOD: Hold 'Em

Warmup

-just normal stretching

Workout

5 continuous rounds of 40 sec hold / 20 sec rest

-double clean and hold in rack

-double overhead press and hold (waiter's hold)

-wall sit

-v-sit

-pushup hold (1/4 off the ground)

Results

-didn't fail on any of them

-love these static workouts

-always amazed how fast my heart can beat when I'm not moving

Friday, September 18, 2009

WOD: My Baby Barbara

Warmup

-just normal stretching

Workout

4 rounds, each for time, with a 3 min rest between rounds

-10 pullups

-20 pushups

-30 situps

-40 squats

Results

-3:05, 3:32, 4:14, 5:07

-probably shoulda done a 5th round, but I didn't feel like meeting pukey today

Thursday, September 17, 2009

WOD: Going Heavy....For Me

Warmup

With the 24kg bell

-10 deadlifts

-20 swings

-15 swings

-4 tgu (2l/2r alternating)

Workout

5 Rounds of:

-The following circuit with the 24kg bell

-5 swings right

-5 swings left

-4 cleans right

-4 cleans left

-3 jerks right

-3 jerks left

-2 snatches right

-2 snatches left

-15 situps

Results

-My grip is weak with the 24kg bell, gonna need to work on that

-Cleans are getting better as I get used to the size/shape of the competition bell

-Snatches are pretty poor. Need a lot of grip work, more swing/hip power and 'punching' speed/strength

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

WOD: 20 Minute Blast

Warmup

3 rounds of:

-5 pullups

-10 situps

-5 dips

-10 squats

10 deadlifts

10 swings

Workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 min of:

-6 double bent-over rows

-8 double jerks

-10 double swings

Results

-9 rounds

-These always look easier on paper

-Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow

Monday, September 14, 2009

WOD: 300 Meltdown

Warmup

-20 slingshots (10l/10r)

-10 halos (5l/5r)

-10 ribbons (5l/5r)

-2 tgu (24kg) (1l/1r)

-10 swing/catch/squat

Workout

For time:

-25 kettlebell "shredders" (pull over + reverse crunch)

-50 snatches (25l/25r)

-25 pushups

-50 swings

-50 burpees

-50 clean & press

-50 mountain climbers

Results

-Time: 26:11

-Forgot to keep track of time for each exercise

-Shredders (35lb): 25

-Snatches (35lb): 10/10, 10/10, 5/5

-Pushups: 15,10

-Swings (24kg): 20,20,10

-Burpees: 10,10,10,10,10

-C & P (35lb): 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5

-Mountain Climbers: 50

Sunday, September 13, 2009

WOD: Bells and Bodyweight

Warmup

3 rounds of:

-5 pullups

-10 situps

-5 pushups

-10 squats

Workout

4 rounds of the following (rotating) tabata sequence:

-double cleans (35lb)

-mountain climbers

-see saw presses (35lb)

-plank walkouts

Result

-Great little cardio workout

-Failed on the second set of presses each round, just held in rack for remaining time

-Will do walkup planks next time...the walkouts were too easy for tabata

Friday, September 11, 2009

WOD: Is there a D.O.C in the house?

Warmup

10 deadlifts

20 swings

6 windmills (3l/3r)

Workout

Deck of Cards (D.O.C.)

-H = swings (24kg)

-D = dips

-C = SDHP (24kg)

-S = russian twists (1 rep = l + r) (25lb)

-A = 11 reps

-J = 10 Burpees

Results

-Time: 40:13

-Dips slowed me down a little, but I enjoyed this one

Thursday, September 10, 2009

I got a new addition to my kettlebell family today, a 24kg competition-style bell from Perform Better. They call them First Place Elite Kettlebells. I've been wanting to get a competition-style bell for a while and stumbled across a review of these ones here. Since this is my first one and I don't plan on competing, I felt no need to spend the extra money on an AKC equivalent (although they are very nice)

So I ordered this new kb from their website on Saturday at 11am, making sure to choose the cheap, standard 7-10 day ground shipping option. It was delivered today (Thursday). I had read that their shipping was prompt, but I wasn't expecting that quick of a turn-a-round! Very impressed...gonna have to contact them with some positive feedback.

So anyway, here are some pics of the new kid...

And of course, I had to play with it tonight.

Swings feel good.
Cleans are tougher than I thought they would be. I think I just need to work on my rack, because it is much larger than what I'm used to.
Snatches/Jerks felt about the way I thought they would - tough but doable.
And the tgu wasn't too bad.

Can't wait to get it into a workout!!

WOD: My Angie

Workout

Crossfit "Angie"...slightly scaled with jumping pullups.

For time:

-100 jumping pullups

-100 pushups

-100 situps

-100 air squats

Note: Finish all reps of one exercise before moving to the next

Results

-Time: 30:35

-Finished pullups @ 9:13

-Finished pushups @ 17:23

-Finished situps @ 25:43

-Finished squats @ 30:35

-Plenty of room for impovement here...but it wasn't as tough as I expected

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

WOD: Got 20 Minutes?

Warmup

-10 deadlifts

-20 swings
-4 tgu + windmill (2l/2r)

Workout

As many rounds as possible in 20 min of:

-5 pullups
-5 kettlebell burpees
-5 deck squats

Results

-9 rounds
-Jumping pullups on the last round
-Pretty weak...gonna have to do better next time

Monday, September 7, 2009

WOD: Long-Cycle Labor Day

Warmup

3 rounds of:

-5 pullups

-10 situps

-5 dips

-10 squats

20 swings

Normal Stretching

Workout

6 rounds of:

-2 min LCCJ (Long Cycle Clean and Jerk)

-2 min rest

Results

My rack position is getting better, so it's getting easier to rest...but I still have a TON of room for improvement

Bodyweight Exercises

Along with the kettlebell stuff, I also mix in some bodyweight exercises. So I figured I might as well get a collection of videos together for some of those too....here yunz go:

Pushups

Here are just some of the very many push-up variations you can do.

Hindu and Divebomber Pushups

T-Pushup

Stability Ball Pushup

Handstand Pushup

Table Pushups (there might be another, more common, name for these)

Bottoms-up Kettlebell Pushup

Alternating Kettlebell Pushup (you can use anything for this, not just a kb)

Planks

Plank

Plank Variations

Plank Walkup

Walkout Planks (well, that's how I do them...I think there are versions too)

Squats

Squat

Hindu Squat (There is a big debate about whether these are bad or good for your knees)

Sumo Squat

Wall sits

Situps / Ab stuff

A lot of the exercises I do with the kettlebell work the core pretty hard, so I don't spend a lot of time doing "normal" ab work. When I do, it's usually just for a kind of active rest. That said, here are some of the ab exercises I tend to work into my routines

Cardio Stuff I Guess