AM Weight = 175.2
7:15-7:30AM: 30 mins cardio (Cardio Coach #5 - 20 mins elliptical, 10 mins bike)
9:45-10:15PM:
30 mins kettlebell drills (used various combos from Kettlebell Goddess DVD)
*Note: my hands were killing me. These calluses are no joke :-(
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
A Little Relapse
Well, the 2nd half of last week and this weekend did not bring alot in the way of focus on my diet or my training. Work was really busy, and we were striving to meet an aggressive deadline. So, I was not as focused on either my training or my diet. I ate way too many carbs to preserve energy; things were so stressful that I even had some drinks on Saturday, which I haven't done in years. So, my weight today was 176.4, which is 0.9 lbs higher than my lowest weight last week. All-in-all not bad considering my splurges :-)
This week I will refocus; my goal is to reach 165 by Sunday. I also need to increase my cardio; I will strive for 40 mins of cardio each day, in addition to 4 kettlebell training days. Today I decided to break out one of my favorite Cathe DVDs. I did high step challenge (1 hr, 10 mins). I discovered pleasantly that my endurance had greatly improved. I used to struggle through this workout and only make it to 3:5 rounds. Today, I did all 5 rounds and used pretty challenging weight during the muscular endurance portions of the workout. I'm starting to see alot of definition in my shoulders, arms, quads, and hams. I need to burn some fat in my abdomen and hips though. I figure that I will start to lean out after I hit the 165 mark; I'm confident that I will get there by Sunday following the Radical Diet.
This week I will refocus; my goal is to reach 165 by Sunday. I also need to increase my cardio; I will strive for 40 mins of cardio each day, in addition to 4 kettlebell training days. Today I decided to break out one of my favorite Cathe DVDs. I did high step challenge (1 hr, 10 mins). I discovered pleasantly that my endurance had greatly improved. I used to struggle through this workout and only make it to 3:5 rounds. Today, I did all 5 rounds and used pretty challenging weight during the muscular endurance portions of the workout. I'm starting to see alot of definition in my shoulders, arms, quads, and hams. I need to burn some fat in my abdomen and hips though. I figure that I will start to lean out after I hit the 165 mark; I'm confident that I will get there by Sunday following the Radical Diet.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Back in action
Well, as promised, my replacement kettlebell arrived yesterday. Unfortunately, my calluses are still tender, so I probably won't train with the bells again until Thursday/Friday. I am feeling great, even after the deck 0' cards. My diet is going well and this morning I weighed in at 175.2 pounds - great progress!
This weekend I will probably try Kenneth Jay's Max VO2 Snatch training. I can't find Kenneth's exact protocol, but this is what I've been able to scrounge up so far:
Max VO2 is basically a 15 second on/15 second off snatch test. You should be able to perform a single snatch in 2 seconds, which means if you're pacing 7-8 snatches in 15 seconds then your weight is good.
Men use 16Kb, Women 12Kb
R-8 reps 15srest 15sL- 8 reps 15srest 15s
From Rif:
heres the protocol for finding your snatch pace accoriding to kj( if you are brave enough)
It's a 6 min snatch test; alternating arms each min
min one 10 reps per min right arm
min two 12 reps per min left arm
min three 14 reps per min right arm
min four 16 reps per min left arm
min five 18 reps per min right arm
min six max reps per minute left arm- this is your max heartrate pace and your max hr.
kj had them do 60 % of that number for 60 % of the minute so:if you did 30 reps that last minute your 60% pace is 18 reps per 36 seconds( 60% of the minute.
he had them do their max pace for 36 sec on 36 sec off for 20 sets!the 15 on 15 off is another version. THe point of all this is is that you have to get a pace where your HR is close to 95% max.
This weekend I will probably try Kenneth Jay's Max VO2 Snatch training. I can't find Kenneth's exact protocol, but this is what I've been able to scrounge up so far:
Max VO2 is basically a 15 second on/15 second off snatch test. You should be able to perform a single snatch in 2 seconds, which means if you're pacing 7-8 snatches in 15 seconds then your weight is good.
Men use 16Kb, Women 12Kb
R-8 reps 15srest 15sL- 8 reps 15srest 15s
From Rif:
heres the protocol for finding your snatch pace accoriding to kj( if you are brave enough)
It's a 6 min snatch test; alternating arms each min
min one 10 reps per min right arm
min two 12 reps per min left arm
min three 14 reps per min right arm
min four 16 reps per min left arm
min five 18 reps per min right arm
min six max reps per minute left arm- this is your max heartrate pace and your max hr.
kj had them do 60 % of that number for 60 % of the minute so:if you did 30 reps that last minute your 60% pace is 18 reps per 36 seconds( 60% of the minute.
he had them do their max pace for 36 sec on 36 sec off for 20 sets!the 15 on 15 off is another version. THe point of all this is is that you have to get a pace where your HR is close to 95% max.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
New Diet & Deck O' Cards
Well, today I hunkered down on my anabolic diet, and it's producing amazing results. This morning, my weight was 180.5, and I weighed myself in the early evening, just after my workout, and my weight was 177.8. Goes to show that I'm losing quite a bit of water. I consumed approx 1138 calories today. I'm following Dr. Di Pasquale's Radical Diet until I get to around 155 pounds, then I'll maintain with his Anabolic Diet for Bodybuilders. It will be a challenging diet, but should produce fast results with strict adherance. Today was pretty good, but I had to take enough supplements to counter the inital effects of low-carb dieting.
My workout consisted of the deck o' cards workout. I was really tired going into it given the low amount of carbohydrates I'm consuming, but I made it through. Workout was as follows:
Assignments:
Diamonds = L swing; Hearts = L snatch; Clubs = R swing; Spades = R snatch
Ace/King = 12 Reps; Jack/Queen = 11 Reps; Joker = 1 min rest
Warmup: Walked 2 easy laps around track + JM drills + light stretching (15 mins)
Workout Time: 39 mins, stopped b/c of blisters/calluses on hands, 14 cards left
I used the 12kg for majority of the workout. Used the 9kg for 1 round of snatches (R/L) and 1 round of swings (R/L). Original goal was to go through the first half of the deck using the 12kg and the second half of the deck using the 9kg. However, when it came time to switch, the 9kg was just too light.
Results: 89 L swings, 60 L snatch, 66 R swing, 73 R snatch
The remaining 14 cards would have resulted in an additional 11 L swings, 40 L snatches, 46 R swings, 15 R snatches.
It was a great workout, but boy are my hands killing me! I've been trying to ween myself off of my wrist gards and gloves. However, I used both today as my hands were still sore from yesterday's workout. At any rate, the gloves started rubbing a blister on the calluses that were already there, and it eventually became too painful to continue on. I really wanted to finish the deck! I came home, soaked my hands in warm water, filed gently, and moisturized well.
ROCK ON!
My workout consisted of the deck o' cards workout. I was really tired going into it given the low amount of carbohydrates I'm consuming, but I made it through. Workout was as follows:
Assignments:
Diamonds = L swing; Hearts = L snatch; Clubs = R swing; Spades = R snatch
Ace/King = 12 Reps; Jack/Queen = 11 Reps; Joker = 1 min rest
Warmup: Walked 2 easy laps around track + JM drills + light stretching (15 mins)
Workout Time: 39 mins, stopped b/c of blisters/calluses on hands, 14 cards left
I used the 12kg for majority of the workout. Used the 9kg for 1 round of snatches (R/L) and 1 round of swings (R/L). Original goal was to go through the first half of the deck using the 12kg and the second half of the deck using the 9kg. However, when it came time to switch, the 9kg was just too light.
Results: 89 L swings, 60 L snatch, 66 R swing, 73 R snatch
The remaining 14 cards would have resulted in an additional 11 L swings, 40 L snatches, 46 R swings, 15 R snatches.
It was a great workout, but boy are my hands killing me! I've been trying to ween myself off of my wrist gards and gloves. However, I used both today as my hands were still sore from yesterday's workout. At any rate, the gloves started rubbing a blister on the calluses that were already there, and it eventually became too painful to continue on. I really wanted to finish the deck! I came home, soaked my hands in warm water, filed gently, and moisturized well.
ROCK ON!
Replacement bell on the way!
I contacted the vendor of my demolished kettlebell, and a replacement is on the way! I bought the bell from Lisa Shaffer & Kettlebell, Inc. They stand behind their products, and customer service is outstanding. As promised by Lisa, I'll be snatching the 16kg again within the week. I really like the Ader kettlebells, and I have a mix of Ader, Dragon Door, and Power Systems at home. When I first got started training with kettlebells, I bought 12kg and 9kg Power Systems bells. Six months later, I went to a face-to-face instructional workshop with Lisa Shaffer in Dallas and was exposed to the Ader bells (and took a 16kg and 20kg bell home with me!). They were much easier to handle than Power Systems. I definitley will not buy a Power Systems bell again; the handles are rather thick and the finish is not very smooth. I gave my 12kg PS bell to a friend who was interested in training; it was a good starter bell, but all future bells for me will be either Ader or Dragon Door. I haven't tried the AoS/Perform Better or Lifeline brand of kettlebells yet. I got a really good deal on my two 12kg DD bells on eBay. So far, I like DD bells the best, with Ader a very close second. I do want to get a second 16kg bell for double work, but for now, I'll stick to using my pair of 12kg bells for doubles work. I have enough to keep me busy to prep for the RKC in October. Maybe I'll get a second 16kg when I pass my certification exam!
Today has been spent cleaning the house and researching the Anabolic Diet & Radical Diet by Dr. Di Pasquale. A close friend suggested that I try the anabolic diet in conjunction with kettlebell circuit training to help shed the excess body weight quickly. I've been on low carb diets before, and they definitely work. However, I've never done a true anabolic cycle, so I'm looking forward to it.
I'll post today's workout a little later when I actually get to it! I still have more cleaning to do, some work to do, and meet with my first two kettlebell clients later this evening.
Have a great Sunday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful MOMMY!!
Fitgirl-ATX
Today has been spent cleaning the house and researching the Anabolic Diet & Radical Diet by Dr. Di Pasquale. A close friend suggested that I try the anabolic diet in conjunction with kettlebell circuit training to help shed the excess body weight quickly. I've been on low carb diets before, and they definitely work. However, I've never done a true anabolic cycle, so I'm looking forward to it.
I'll post today's workout a little later when I actually get to it! I still have more cleaning to do, some work to do, and meet with my first two kettlebell clients later this evening.
Have a great Sunday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful MOMMY!!
Fitgirl-ATX
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The day I broke my kettlebell
I actually decided to rest on Thursday & Friday. Working every day for the past 7 weeks finally caught up with me. I slept literally from Wednesday night until Friday night, with a few hours awake to take a couple of conference calls and eat. The rest did me well because today I woke up felt energized. I also decided to try the anabolic diet to try to drop some of my excess weight quickly. I'm also working on a new kettlebell conditioning plan to help me improve my snatch numbers. Finally, I've taken on two clients to start teaching kettlebells, and I have my first session with them tomorrow. I'm pumped up about it! Now, on to a summary of today's workout....
Today's plan was to tackle the AoS Smokin' Ladders workout, followed by a deck of cards workout a few hours after that. Well, today was a milestone for me. I did 3 rounds of Smokin' Ladders (which was a TOUGH workout!). On the 3rd round, I attempted to snatch the 16kg bell, my arch nemesis. I was actually able to do it and without banging up my wrists! I got 3 good reps on my right. When I came up for the 4th, it was very sloppy, and I felt myself losing control of the bell, so I just dropped it. Unfortunately, when it came down, the horns completely broke off into three pieces! Now, I have to get a new 35lber. So, I am taking a break to write in my blog to chronicle the event. I have a conference call at 4, but will go back to finish Smokin Ladders when it's over with just my 12kg bell. I still plan to do a deck of cards workout around 8-9PM as well.
Here's a picture of my demolished bell:
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Next on the list...
Well, it's been an eventful 2007 to say the least. I finally graduated from UT-Austin on May 18, 2007 (WHOOHOOOO)!! After that, I had to do quite a bit of traveling for family reasons, and the pace at work has picked up at an incredible rate. Anyway, I've decided to go to RKC in October and hope to do a show immediately thereafter in November. I've put on alot of muscle in the off-season. I decided to try power lifting for 1 month. I had less than 5 sessions, didn't use much weight, but wow did I put on muscle FAST!! I've had to cool it on lifting weights to give my muscles a chance to atrophy a bit, but it's slow coming. I put on about 3" in my hips, 3.5" in my waist, 4" in my chest (but that's mainly due to my new found love of eating). I definitely don't need to train legs at all, but I still need to focus on my chest, shoulders, back, and arms. I am very proud of myself because I was able to find my 2-rep max on bench press through the help of my boyfriend! I was able to bench 185 for 2 unassisted reps a few weeks ago!! I felt GREAT! That's always a goal that I had (find my 1 rep max, and press at least my body weight). I've also been working on my pullups with the help of Woody Bands. In the off-season I also did some crossfit training, and trained at CATZ fitness center 3-4 times per week. CATZ was great for overall sports conditioning and improved agility. If you have one in your area, you should definitely check them out (http://www.catzsports.com/)!
I'm currently weighing in at 179, and I'd like to get down to 154 or less by the time RKC gets here in October (so that I can test my snatch with the 12kg instead of the 16kg). I'm on a physical regimen to improve my conditioning since RKC will be super long, grueling days. I've dropped this much weight before, so I know it can be done. It's just a given that energy and muscle mass will go along with it. Though, I didn't have kettlebells back then, so I'm not sure what will happen. During the last 3 months of grad school, kettlebell training went out the door. I'm just getting back into regular workouts, and oh how I've missed my bells!
Here's a snapshot of how I've been training this month:
Sun, July 1: ETK Program Minimum + Cardio
Tues, July 2: ETK Program Minimum (TGU day) + Cardio
Mon, July 9: Sarah Lurie's Iron Core Vol 2 + snatch practice + P90X Shoulders & Arms
Wed, July 11: Track work HOC style. Did 6 laps, 4:6 with weighted vest (10 lbs). Added swings & snatches after each lap. Finished with walking swings & 3 minutes snatch test.
Sat, July 14: AOS Newport + 5 min snatch test + 1 mile w/ weighted vest
Sun, July 15: Just cardio (early AM)
Tues, July 17: AoS Providence (mostly with 16kg; still needed 12kg for overhead & pressing drills)
Exhaustion is setting in today, so I'm not sure what workout I will do. I wanted to do Smokin' Ladders or one of Andrea DuCane's KB Goddess workouts, but I'm not sure I have the energy. I actually used my better judgement and got alot of rest instead of working out. I caught up on sleep & vitamins instead of pushing myself further for a grueling workout.
I'm currently weighing in at 179, and I'd like to get down to 154 or less by the time RKC gets here in October (so that I can test my snatch with the 12kg instead of the 16kg). I'm on a physical regimen to improve my conditioning since RKC will be super long, grueling days. I've dropped this much weight before, so I know it can be done. It's just a given that energy and muscle mass will go along with it. Though, I didn't have kettlebells back then, so I'm not sure what will happen. During the last 3 months of grad school, kettlebell training went out the door. I'm just getting back into regular workouts, and oh how I've missed my bells!
Here's a snapshot of how I've been training this month:
Sun, July 1: ETK Program Minimum + Cardio
Tues, July 2: ETK Program Minimum (TGU day) + Cardio
Mon, July 9: Sarah Lurie's Iron Core Vol 2 + snatch practice + P90X Shoulders & Arms
Wed, July 11: Track work HOC style. Did 6 laps, 4:6 with weighted vest (10 lbs). Added swings & snatches after each lap. Finished with walking swings & 3 minutes snatch test.
Sat, July 14: AOS Newport + 5 min snatch test + 1 mile w/ weighted vest
Sun, July 15: Just cardio (early AM)
Tues, July 17: AoS Providence (mostly with 16kg; still needed 12kg for overhead & pressing drills)
Exhaustion is setting in today, so I'm not sure what workout I will do. I wanted to do Smokin' Ladders or one of Andrea DuCane's KB Goddess workouts, but I'm not sure I have the energy. I actually used my better judgement and got alot of rest instead of working out. I caught up on sleep & vitamins instead of pushing myself further for a grueling workout.