Thursday, September 25, 2008

Heading back home

Sunday September 21, 2008

Weight: 180 1/2 lbs

Originally I was going to take off today however I realized I may not be able to get over to the gym in Petaluma on Monday so instead I did just my dead-lifts:

Morning:

Z-Health: Neural Warmup Level 2

Conventional Dead-lift (lbs):

210 x 1 x 5
190 x 1 x 5

No problem with either set. I'm now reaching down but looking upward when grabbing the bell as suggested from one of Fawn's power-lifting coaches.

Monday September 22, 2008

Weight: Unknown

After six hours in a cramped window seat my commercial flight landed in San Francisco at around noon. I then drove up to Petaluma for another hour to make to work. After settling in I went down to shipping and picked up my 24kg bell. Following that I gave a demonstration to three co-workers, one of whom, an ex-wrestler, was an extremely strong dude. Within in ten minutes I had him at first two-hand swinging, cleaning, pressing and then snatching with both arms. Considering he was well versed in Olympic lifts, its no surprise he took to the Kettlebell lifts quickly.

Noon:

24kg x 2 x 20 Two-hand swings
24kg x 2 x 10/10 One-hand swings
24kg x 1 x 8l(PR)/8r MP
24kg x 1 x 10/10 Snatch
24kg x 1 x 8/8 Snatch


In the evening I brought the bell to the fitness center in my hotel. A couple of guys working out there, Samuel and Abel, were both intrigued by this new tool and I proceeded to go through a fairly long demonstration. I taught Samuel, who was pretty fit to start with, how to two-hand swing. The 24kg bell was a bit much for him, but he managed five sets of 10 swings each. I then had him use a 10lb dumpbell to practice his TGUs. Abel was happy to look on and ask questions.

Evening:

Z-Health: Neural Warmup Level 2

24kg x 7 x 20 Two-hand swing
24kg x 4 x 1/1 TGU
24kg x 2 x 10/10 Snatch
24kg x 2 x 8/8 Snatch


Tuesday September 23, 2008

Weight: 181 lbs

Morning:

Z-Health: Neural Warmup Level 2

Late Evening:

24kg x 1 x 30 Two-hand swings
24kg x 1 x 15/15 One-hand swings
24kg x 1 x 10l/10b/10r/10b Roundabout swings

24kg Chain Circuit
A1 :1 x 1 Dead hand Snatch Right
A2: 1 x 1 Press Right
A3: 1 x 1 Front Squat Right
A4: 1 x 1 Push Press Right
A5: 1 x 1 Jerk Right
A6: 1 x 5 One hand swing Right
A7-A12: Repeat A1 - A6 with Left
Total: 5 Chains

24kg Chain Circuit
A1 :1 x 5 Snatch Right
A2: 1 x 1 Press Right
A3: 1 x 1 Front Squat Right
A4: 1 x 1 Push Press Right
A5: 1 x 1 Jerk Right
A6: 1 x 5 One hand swing Right
A7-A12: Repeat A1 - A6 with Left
Total: 5 Chains

24kg Circuit:
A1: 1 x 20 Two-hand swings
A2: 1 x 1/1 TGU
Total: 4 sets

24kg x 1 x 10/10 Snatch
24kgs x 1 x (1/1, 2/2, 3/3) Snatch ladder

After going threw this one of the gym members, Caleb Fields, a very fit looking young man in his early thirties, was very interested in learning about KBs. It turns out he was a HS wrestler, a competetive collegiate swimmer and after college a powerlifter. At 168lbs he Sumo-style pulled 505, quite an impressive in a meet netting him 3rd place. He told me it just came natural explaining he pulled four wheels conventional style the very first time he tried dead-lifting.

I will be giving him a complementary lesson tomorrow evening and he in turn will try to share some dead-lift pointers .. very cool!


Weight: 181 lbs

Morning:

Z-Health: Neural Warmup Level 2

Late Afternoon:

24kg x 10 x 20 Two-hand swings
24kg x 5 x 1/1 TGU

Today I gave my new West coast training partner, Caleb Fields, a complimentary Kettlebell training session including two-hand swings and TGUs. Caleb, a 168lb 5 wheel DL-er, was able to tough it out and did ten sets of fifteen two-hand swings. Starting with a 10 lb dumbell he worked up to a 35 lb dumbbell TGU with each arm.

Afterwards, we went over to the barbells and gave me some good DL tips. I worked up to 225 lb single and then went straight to 295 and failed. He felt my form was solid but that it will just take time to I train my nervous system. As one possibility to get me over my currrent 1RM of 285, he suggested using two 10 lb chains added to a 275. As the bar comes off the ground it gets heavier and heavier which will help me get used to the higher weight. Sounds like a small investment with a potentially big payoff.



Thursday September 25, 2008

Weight: 181 lbs

With the exception of a almond horn cookie everyday, I stayed compliant with my Precision Nutrition program. Having a Whole Foods and Trader Joes only a few miles from the Petaluma office made it easy to purchase high quality foods consistent with my program.

I also made great use of the 24kg bell I had sent out here by training every day.

Morning:

Z-Health: Neural Warmup Level 2

Late Afternoon:

24kg x 1 x 8l/10r MP
24kg x 1 x 8l/10r C&P
24kg x 1 x (1/1, 2/2, 3/3) MP Ladder

24kg Complex:
A1: 1 x 5/5 One-hand swing
A2: 1 x 5/5 Front Squat
A3: 1 x 5/5 Jerk
Total: 3 Complexes

24kg Complex
A1: 1 x 5/5 One-hand swing
A2: 1 x 5/5 Thruster
A3: 1 x 5/5 Jerk
Total: 3 Complexes

24kg x 2 x 20 Two-hand swings
24kg x 2 x 10/10 One-hand swings

24kg Snatch:
1 x 10/10
1 x 5/5/5/5
1 x 10/10
1 x 5/5
1 x 10/10
1 x 5/5

24kg Circuit:
1 x 1l Ascending TGU Left
1 x 1 Windmill
1 x 1 H2H Swing transfer
1 x 1 Snatch Right
1 x 1 Windmill
1 x 1 Descending TGU Right
1 x 1l Ascending TGU Rigth
1 x 1 Windmill
1 x 1 H2H Swing transfer
1 x 1 Snatch Left
1 x 1 Windmill
1 x 1 Descending TGU Left
Total: 2 Circuits

This was a great workout and took over 40 minutes. A great way to end the week out west.

3 comments:

Martin Schap said...

That complex looks cool but I'm afraid I would get confused actually trying it. Maybe I could do it if I wrote it out and had Annie guide me through by reading it aloud as I went...

Franklin said...

Martin,

Adding complexes and chains is a great way to add variety especially if only a single bell is available. Its a great complement to my ultra simple (albeit effective) AMT Circuit of two-hand swings and TGUs.

Also, once you try someone else complex/chain its easy to add/delete/substitute any other lifts.

Franklin said...

Here are two comments and my reply that were accidentally nuked and are reproduced here:

Martin Schap said...

What fun! Kettlebells are like dogs and babies. People will always stop to talk to you if you have one with you.
September 24, 2008 11:35 AM

Jason said...

Hey Franklin,

Way to spread the word! That’s great that you've met so many different people in unlikely places to share the greatness of Hard Style! Way to go!


Jason
September 24, 2008 2:24 PM

franklin b herman, rkc said...

Martin,

I'm not shy .. that's for sure. If someone shows the slightest interest in what I'm doing with KBs, I will always try to stir up some conversation which can invariably lead to a demonstration and complementary instruction. KB Hard-Style training is to be shared.

Jason,

Thanks! Its truly a labour of love.