Iron Kettlebell Fitness

Reprinted by request

DAY 1 9-14-09

Grind block – light day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 16kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 1,2,3 x 3 cycles
• 5 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 16kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 22 minutes

Music selection – Iron Maiden

Random Thoughts

• Today was the first day employing the Return of the Kettlebell protocol.
• Lifting 2 different size kettlebells was certainly different and felt awkward.  I felt like I was off balance.  Started to get accustomed to it as the workout progressed.
• 24Kg was heavy with two bells even though one was much lighter.  Reaching my goal with two 24’s will be a challenge.
• Rested 4 minutes between pressing cycles.
• Sumo squats weren’t necessarily hard but did create a pretty good burn in the quads.  Good for the grip strength.
• Overall a good workout.

DAY 2 9-15-09

Variety

Bent Press – light – 16kg kettlebell

• 5 x 3

RKC Arm Bar – 16kg bell

• 5 minutes randomly switching arms

Pinch-block Lifts – 25lbs

• 5 x 3

Stretching  – Concentrated on shoulders and upper torso.

Deck of Card Tear – Still attempting to master this.  I can tear a full 52 card deck but it’s a struggle to get through it.

Total workout time – 29 min

Music selection – Judas Priest

DAY 3 9-16-09

Grind block – medium day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 20kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 1,2,3,4 x 3 cycles
• 5 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 20kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 24 minutes

Music selection – Metallica

Random Thoughts

• I have traditionally found it hard to hold back on my light days.  Day 1 was a light workout and didn’t really tax my system that much.  Today, although a medium effort day began to put some stress on my body.  I upgraded to a 20 and a 24kg bell and added an extra rung to my ladders.  The last rung of the last ladder was a challenge requiring total focus.  Day 5 will be my first heavy day and after today, I anticipate I significant effort will called for.  Looking forward to testing myself.

Day 4 9-17-09

Variety

Turkish Get ups - light – 16kg kettlebell – Concentrated on form.  Usually perform this with a 24kg bell.  Felt very good.

• 5 min. switching sides for every rep.

Stretching

Turkish Get ups – 16kg

• 5 min. switching sides for every rep.

Windmills – 16kg kettlebell

• 5 x 2 each side

Pinch-block Lifts – 25lbs

• 15 sec static holds x 3 each side.

Stretching  – Concentrated on shoulders and upper torso.

Total workout time - 32 min

Music selection – various artist

Day 5 – 9-18-09 -rest

Day 6  – 9-19-09

Grind block – medium day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 24kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 1,2,3,4,5 x 2 cycles
• 1,2,3,3,3 x 1 cycle
• 5 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 24kg & 24kg kettlebells

• 20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 32 minutes

Music selection – Metallica

Random Thoughts

Lifting weights should be looked upon as practice and I always strive to be better each and every workout.  Better technique as well as a better understanding of how and why I’m doing what I’m doing.  On day 6 I learned a major lesson.  Despite everything I think I know and all the experience that I have over the years in the gym, I don’t always know what the heck I’m doing.

I really screwed up today.  I realized that I have been doing the ladders incorrectly.  What I had hoped to complete today was this; 1,2,3,4,5 x 3.  Meaning 5 rungs on 3 ladders.  What I should have been doing was this; 1,2,3 x 5.  Meaning 3 total rungs on 5 ladders.  Future workouts would look like this; 1,2,3,4 x5 and then 1,2,3,4,5 x 5.  In other words, my first heavy day which was today should have consisted of 5 total ladders of 3 rungs each and not the other way around.  I looked at past workouts in which I have used the ladder technique and I was doing them correctly so I can’t explain why I screwed it up so bad today.

The good news is that I caught it during the first week and I can correct it for the remaining weeks of the Return of the Kettlebell cycle.  Essentially I have identified a problem with my workouts and have worked to correct it so that future workouts are an improvement on past workouts.

You should always strive to be better tomorrow then you were today by identifying deficiencies in your training and working to eliminate them.  Your will never have the perfect workout because perfection is not possible but you can sure as hell come close if you approach every workout as practice.

Day 7 – 9-20-09 rest

Week 1 wrap up

Week 1 is in the books.  I’m pleased with how the week went but obviously there is major room for improvement.  As you read above in the day 6 wrap up, I have been performing my ladders incorrectly.  I’m not to pleased about that but I am happy that I caught it early in the cycle and can now correct it without losing any momentum.

This was the first time that I have used 2 kettlebells as the main focus of my training.  I have performed lifts with 2 bells in the past but have never had a routine who’s main focus incorporates 2 bells.  I think I have adjusted well and feel that every workout, technique wise was an improvement over the last.  I’m still trying to get used to using 2 kettlebells of different sizes.

I completed all 5 workouts this week so I’m clearly on pace to meet my goal of completing 90% of the workouts.  I also think, despite not performing the ladders incorrectly that I’m looking pretty good to reach my other grind week goal of pressing 2 24kg bells for 1,2,3,4,5 x 5.  It ain’t gonna be easy but I’m feel’n pretty good about it.