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The Simple Road Begins

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November 5

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 3 sets of 10, 5 reps each way, with a 30lb KB.
Goblet Squats - 5 x 30, 5 x 30, 5 x 30

Two-handed swings - 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50
Cleans & Presses - 10 x 30 (5 with each hand), 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30
TGUs - 5 sets, one rep on each side for one set with a 20 lb KB.

The TGUs felt great, for the first time. Life keeps getting in the way of my getting to the gym. I might have to break down & order a couple kettlebells for the house.
 
Michael Scott said:
The TGUs felt great, for the first time. Life keeps getting in the way of my getting to the gym. I might have to break down & order a couple kettlebells for the house.
Click to expand...

Great news on the TGUs! I like the sound of those kettle bells for your house.
 
November 9

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 3 sets of 10, 5 reps each way, with a 30lb KB.
Goblet Squats - 5 x 30, 5 x 30, 5 x 30

Two-handed swings - 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50
Single Arm Cleans & Presses - 10 x 30 (5 with each hand), 10 x 40, 10 x 30, 10 x 40, 10 x 30, 10 x 30

Good workout last night. As I was putting the 50 lb bell away, I decided to see if I could rack it. I could with both arms, so I decided to add 2 sets with the 40 lb bell in my C&P's. While I felt great during those exercises, I was gassed afterwards. I passed on the TGU's, because of this fatigue. I will be headed back tonight, and swings & TGU's are the only exercises on the menu.
 
November 10

Happy Birthday to me & my fellow Marines!

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 3 sets of 10, 5 reps each way, with a 30lb KB.
Goblet Squats - 5 x 30, 5 x 30, 5 x 30

Two-handed swings - 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50
TGUs - 10 x 25, 10 x 30, 10 x 25, 10 x 25, 10 x 25

The TGUs felt great last night. I was feeling it after my swings, so I tried one set with the 30 lb bell. I was successful with it, and again, I was gassed at the end of my workout. I like that feeling, it makes me feel like I did something. My goal is to get to 100 2H swings in one session, then I may try to go to 1H swings. Then again, I may just decide to stick with the 2H swings & TGUs. The mindset of "Ya gotta be gassed" at the end of a workout is in direct conflict with the concept of recovery between sets that many use on here. At least I am in the gym. ;)
 
Happy Birthday to you and the Marines and thank you for your service!

Nice work on the TGUs.

I like the feeling of being gassed also, but I'm learning to like the feeling of being ready for anything else in my day after my S&S session. A few years ago, if I hit the garage for a weight session - a run or bike ride was likely out of the question. Now it's a normal occurrence for me to hike/run/ride after an S&S session. For me, it's better, but different.

Regarding the swings, I would advise at least trying out some 1H swings. The 1H and 2H swings are both special in different ways.
 
Michael Scott said:
I was gassed at the end of my workout. I like that feeling, it makes me feel like I did something.
Click to expand...

You and most of the rest of the exercising world... ;)

I'd recommend cultivating a different feeling. Nothing wrong with that occasionally, but for daily training you'll accomplish far more in the long run (and be healthier, and have less injury potential) if you go for the "recharge" feeling, leaving the workout feeling fresh. As you said, "The mindset of "Ya gotta be gassed" at the end of a workout is in direct conflict with the concept of recovery between sets that many use on here."... I'm definitely in that camp these days. In between sets, and the workout as a whole. It starts with just noticing how you feel after a session that's not so hard.

Anyway, good job on the swings and TGUs!!
 
November 12

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 3 sets of 10, 5 reps each way, with a 30lb KB.
Goblet Squats - 5 x 40, 5 x 40, 5 x 40

Two-handed swings - 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50
TGUs - 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30

The 25 lb kettlebell was missing from the rack, so I went with the 30 for TGUs. I think I have them figured out now, but we will see after tomorrow's workout.
 
November 13

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 3 x 30, 3 x 30, 3 x 40
Goblet Squats - 5 x 40, 5 x 40, 5 x 40

Two-handed swings - 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50, 10 x 50
TGUs - 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30, 2 x 30

After this workout, I realize that I will need to drop back down to the 30 lb kettlebell for Halos, Goblet Squats & the 25 lb for TGUs. I am not quite there, especially if I am going to focus on recovery between sets, instead of going for gassed. I am getting a real feel for how to properly perform the TGUs, to the point where I am now realizing when my foot or hand placement is off.
 
I have to admit, that even with the minimal amount of training I have put in, I am noticing greater flexibility, and my knees are not as sore as they used to be. Even overdoing it like I did this weekend, I was never achy & sore like after a lifting session.
 
November 15

10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching.

Halos - 2 sets of 4 reps with the 25 lb KB
Goblet Squats - 5 x 40, 5 x 40, 5 x 40

One-handed swings - 10 x 25, 10 x 25, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30,10 x 30
TGUs - 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25

I minimized my warm up with the Halos, knowing that I would be working on the OHS tonight. I still did my full warm-up with the squats, because, like I read in another thread, and stated by Pavel, everyone needs to squat. I hope I stated that right.

I decided to switch to OHS, after reading more posts on here. I started with the 25 lb KB, but it felt too light. So I switched to the 30 lb KB. Holy crap did my core fire off.

The TGUs were tough after 10 sets, but what a great workout. I may have overdone it some, but this will be my new workout.
 
Strong work, @Michael Scott

I get that core firing feeling sometimes when integrating a new bell - but almost always when testing. This morning, I could still feel my core from my S&S session yesterday.
 
It felt great, and I am not sore this morning. But, I do feel it in my core still. I guess I did it the right way...:D I will see how it goes tonight.

Bonkin said:
Strong work, @Michael Scott

I get that core firing feeling sometimes when integrating a new bell - but almost always when testing. This morning, I could still feel my core from my S&S session yesterday.
Click to expand...
 
One thing I have been focusing on in my TGUs is watching the kettlebell as much as possible. The focus is very interesting to me. I seem to notice the little things more when I am watching the bottom of the kettlebell more than when I do not.
 
I've focused on the bell in TGUs as well. Now I find myself with just an eye on it - on the way up - but really looking at it on the way down. This may change as my sense of where my weak spots are moves around.
 
You may be doing this already, but the recommended eye position is on the kettlebell all the way to tripod position, then eyes straight ahead for kneeling, standing, and back to kneeling. As you put the hand on the ground for tripod on the way down, eyes back to kettlebell and stay there until it's lowered to your belly at the end of the get-up.
 
@Anna C, lowered to the belly? I lower it down to my chest, like I press it from the same point. Then I roll it back to the starting point. Then I roll it over to the other side.
 
Yes, keep forearm vertical through the lowering (with or without the non-working hand on it) and it should end up around your belly, then both hands on the handle and roll to your side.

Same thing, opposite, on the way up. That was the distinction that came up in a recent thread about it being a "floor press."

As far as getting it to the other side, either halo it around your head, or spin yourself around to where the kettlebell is in the right place already for the other side.
 
November 16

5 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching. Decided to lower the treadmill time and incorporate the Hip Bridges, to see how they helped in my warm up today.

Halos - 3 sets of 10 reps with the 25 lb KB
Goblet Squats - 5 x 40, 5 x 40, 5 x 40
Hip Bridges - 3 sets of 10 reps

One-handed swings - 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 35, 10 x 35
TGUs - 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25

I incorporated the Hip Bridges, and felt great all night. I will now creep back up to 10 minutes, after Thanksgiving, to 10 minutes on the treadmill, and keep the bridges. As a desk jockey, the bridges should be a welcome addition. I did not notice any fatigue in my hips or back from adding them. Again, I was feeling great performing the OHS tonight. The 30 lb kettlebell felt light throughout the first 8 sets, so I grabbed the 35 during my recovery time. It felt just right, not too heavy, & definitely not too light. So, I will be slowly switching to the 35 lb kettlebell. I figure it will be a few weeks as I add one set per workout to have 10 sets with the 35.

My TGUs felt really good tonight as well. Focusing on the kettlebell makes everything else seem to be better. I notice when I am slightly off balance, when my arm is not straight up in the air, and when my foot placement is just off. I am sorry to report @Anna C, that when I bring the kettlebell down, it still comes to my chest, not farther down towards my abdomen. I did, however, take your advice & halo the bell from one side to the other.
 
Sounds like good progress. The kettlebell at chest vs. belly is a minor thing... no biggie. But thinking about this a little further, maybe there are two parts to that lowering which accounts for the difference. Without the kettlebell, if I'm lying on my back and my right arm is straight up in the air, then I bend my arm to 90 degrees while keeping my forearm vertical and my arm close to my body, my elbow is now at my side and my hand is above my belly, right? But then there's the next part... I could roll over to my right side from there, which I think is what is normally done. (It also depends on the size of the kettlebell). If it's a small bell, I could also bend my arm past 90 degrees (which brings my hand farther up towards my chest) and then roll over, that's fine; OR, extend my arm a bit (which brings my hand further down), OR slide my elbow away from my body, bringing the bell to my belly. I think any of these is probably fine, because it's not part of the "time under tension", really. The important part is the "bend my arm to 90 degrees while keeping my forearm vertical and my arm close to my body". Hope that makes sense. If not, back to the second sentence... it's a pretty minor thing. :)
 
November 17

5 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, foam rolled my back & legs, along with some stretching. Stayed with the lower treadmill time and focused again on the Hip Bridges, they seemed to really make a difference in my warm up yesterday.

Halos - 3 sets of 10 reps with the 25 lb KB
Goblet Squats - 5 x 40, 5 x 40, 5 x 40
Hip Bridges - 3 sets of 10 reps

One-handed swings - 10 x 30, 10 x 35, 10 x 30, 10 x 35, 10 x 30, 10 x 35, 10 x 30, 10 x 35, 10 x 30, 10 x 30
TGUs - 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 25, 2 x 20, 2 x 20
C&P - 5 x 50

I seem to be able to swing the 35 lb kettlebell better than the 30. Why, I have no idea. But, I am incorporating it a little more in each workout, until I am doing all 10 sets with it. My TGUs are pretty solid still. Fatigue set in in set 3, probably from the 4 sets swinging the 35, so I switched to the 20 lb kettlebell for my last two sets. I am happy with where I am so far, I am feeling the effects in my lats today for the first time, and my core again since starting OHS instead of THS.

I was feeling great at the end of my workout, so I thought I would try to clean & press the heaviest kettlebell in my gym, the 50 lb kettlebell. I got 5 with each arm, which I could not even clean a few weeks ago. The last rep on my off hand was a little sloppy, but I got them. I won't be incorporating them into my routine, it was just a little test to see where I am in my progression. I couldn't be happier, so, a needed day of rest today, then back at it Saturday morning.
 
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