Here is my exercise update for last week. I think it’s safe to say that since I simplified my workouts a few weeks back to involve only a few kettlebell movements and a few bodyweight movements, I’ve seen some solid gains and minimal soreness.
In case you’re wondering, just ask in the comments or check out my recent posts; you’ll see some patterns. Anyway, regarding last week…
Monday (4/2)
- Skill practice throughout the day: Kettlebell Clean and Press (53# KB)
- Kettlebell Snatch: roll two dice and do snatches at 100% effort for the designated number of minutes (53# KB)
I was fortunate enough to roll a ten. So, to maintain 100% effort for ten minutes, I figured to shoot for 8 reps per side, per minute. On February 27, I did 8 reps per side, per minute for 8 minutes. This time I bettered that effort by two minutes! I felt surprisingly strong, and was really encouraged. That means I managed 160 snatches in 10 minutes. My goal is 200 reps in the same time, so I still have a long way to go.
Tuesday (4/3)
Skill work: pistols and pull-ups.
Wednesday (4/4)
- 10 minutes of Turkish Get-ups.
- Five minutes of kettlebell swings with the 70# bell: 40 sec. of work/20 sec. of rest.
The TGU’s felt good, but I had to rest for about 30 seconds during the fifth minute. The swings were really tough around minute four. I had to break up that set. I managed at least 20 reps each round. My grip was tight at the end and afterward.
Thursday (4/5)
Stretching.
I did this stretching in front of a movie with the family. I ended up doing probably 30 minutes of stretching.
Friday (4/6)
More stretching and a bit of swimming with the kids.
Saturday (4/7)
- KB Clean and Press Ladders (53# KB): 4 ladders, 3 rungs
- KB Snatch: 50-60% effort for 3 minutes longer than Monday (53# KB)
The presses didn’t feel that great. I felt a bit weak, so I was glad to go lighter, as I did with the snatches. Speaking of the snatches, since I rolled a ten on Monday, I got to do thirteen minutes at 50-60% effort, so I did five reps per side per minute for the full thirteen minutes. It was nice and easy, but still a good workout. I felt stronger at the end than at the beginning, which is never bad. I chased it with a smoothie and some oatmeal. Yum!
I should also mention that I’ve begun doing some pretty focused and frequent skill work on the one-arm pushup and the pistol squat throughout the week, which I’ll continue. I’ll post more on this soon.
All told, another good week. This week will be a bit of a challenge since I’ll be out of town, with different equipment and a whacked out schedule, but we’ll see….
