all posts post new thread

Kettlebell Brain dead-goes offline during training - 3/4 humorous

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

GeoffreyLevens

Level 6 Valued Member
I have always had trouble keeping track of sets and reps when working out. I use some sort of markers or counters to keep track. Since I bumped up the weight on S&S it seems to have gotten worse. Today, I caught myself moving a marker on my TGU count at the wrong time (I always do one left/one right, then move my marker). After I caught that I really had no idea how many I had done. So I quit when it "felt right", could have been 4 reps, or 5, I don't think less that 4 though.

Mostly just curious if anyone else gets this. I even lose count during one set of swings at times; how bad is that when you can't keep count from 1 to 10?

Is it creeping senility or just exercise induced, transient lack of blood flow to my brain?
 
Haha i know what you mean.
For me the TGUs are never an issue, but i get miscounts on my swings. I sometimes get to 11 or 12 swings. This only happens with OAS and i think it happens, because i'm still improving my OAS. For example i'm concentrating on keeping my lats engaged or on another set i focus on proper planking at the top and because of that i don't concentrate on counting and lose track sometimes.
 
Yeah, I am focusing on form and power generation. But it can be disconcerting. Heck I can lose track on the 5 goblet squats in warmup though I am going heavier than I am used to...
 
Yes, this happens to me occasionally, even with sets of regular barbell training.
 
Ha, ha, I thought it was just me. Geoffrey, don't even think about Dan John's 10,000 swing challenge!!

I do have problems with sets of 10 swings.....I have a interval timer set roughly for time of each set but just use it to keep track of the sets, not the time per se. Works quite well, once I get past 6 or 7, I can see the session out , confident that I will not be affected by anymore brain farts. It's the 5th,6th or 7th set that dopiness sets in. I had counters that I moved when the set was finished....or at least I thought I did, maybe I didn't, did I move that marker or forget to move it the last time? Maybe I should move 2 then?....bit of a nightmare. I can even lose track in the next set...did I just do a left hand or was it a right? Doh. Get an interval timer app.....it helps. Or an abacus.
 
A quote from S&S, Chapter about the Swing: "To help you find the breathing rhythm, loudly call out the number of each rep at the top of the swing."
It's all in the book :)
 
Ali, that was hilarious. I only have a cheap flip phone so it will have to be an abacus. Actually that is what I have improvised, a row of bright colored, plastic, cloths pins. I move one before I do a set which amounts to same thing. I might break down and get a "real" timer some time though but I much prefer to rest however long I need to so as to get respiration and heart rate down so strictly by time would only work for me on test days
 
KBE, I have tried that on swings, changes the nature of my exhale though to big blast of air instead of a hiss. Seems to make me less explosive in my movement pretty quickly. Wouldn't help much for TUG's though unless I just said same number over and over throughout each one one one one one one one one
 
I can even lose track in the next set...did I just do a left hand or was it a right?
No need for an abacus or some fancy app :D Just take a piece of paper and a pen. That's my session from today: 20151011_003027.jpg
Make a line every time you complete a set of swings or a TGU rep. This doesn't help with counting reps within a swing set, but takes care of everything else.

Edit: My pic is upside down... but you can still see everything :)
 
I use the stopwatch on my iPhone.

I start it at the beginning of my first swing.

At the end of each set I hit the lap button which tells me how long my recovery time and swing set was.

Each lap is numbered.

I have, more than once, lost count and looked closely to realize I only have one or two sets left.

Being interested in recovery time keeps me looking at the stopwatch.
 
I know, I do feel/heart rate too.....if I need to rest a bit longer than the timer that's fine, go when ready, it'll still be within the parameters of the set number so to speak and not affect the breath or heart rate guidance. Likewise, starting early in a set will carry over tho the next set. Guess it could get confusing but by which time it is later on in the session.....yes, I read that in the book...the counting within sets is ok....although not sure how you can shout numbers whilst power breathing and I practice in my garden...my neighbours will think I've developed a very loud lisp.

elephant...tried that too....kept forgetting!
 
Marking on paper same as moving a marker on the floor. If you move it at wrong time or forget to move it, your count is off.
 
All the time! I'm finally making enough of a habit of marking the paper each time. Its about routine. It has to become automatic. I park the bell, I mark the paper. It also helps me to have a timer going. Right now I start a new set every 1:30 to 2:00 (based on heart rate). I can figure out what set I should be on based on elapsed time. I do a similar thing with the TGUs. But yes, all the same things that ali and everyone else have mentioned. Did I actually move my marker? Which side of my body feels more tired... uhhh, ;)
 
Yeah, the which side feels more tired is the marker I go for. And I have realized (more than once) as I park the bell that I just did 2 sets on same side.
 
I am losing count all the time as well.
Once my wife was watching me do pull ups and said: why you did 11? My reply being: because I thought I did 12.

If you are looking for an interval timer you might want to look into a gymboss. Simple device, but it works perfectly.
I can't imagine life without it ;)
 
Man, this thread makes me feel better (finally got inspired to make an account!) - I always feel unsure about my count on sets of swings, and sometimes even which TGU I'm on... Subvocalizing at the top of the swing seems to help when I remember to do it; or picking 5 objects in field of view and giving each a number (say fenceposts - top is RH, bottom LH - go through all five for 10 sets).
 
My rest time between sets are so long tht some times I swing the same side two time in a row (I do 1H swings)...lol. The logs help now.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom