Fun of a different kind!

[Catrin]

We had a great group workout this morning that featured sandbags, trap-bar deadlifts, TRX, nice shiny new kettlebells and bosu pushups!

I am also making a coaching change. Still working with my usual coach, but once a week rather than twice. Adding on a fantastic kettlebell coach that we have! There are few in North America with his level of certification in different KB disciplines. His coaching style is very different and he is GOOD at what he does. He is also 65, and understands how to work with those with back/shoulder/neck/etc issues. I am excited to learn more about kettlebells! His training is no less intense than my other coach, but it is presented in a very different way - and my body feels much better afterwards - especially my neck. It is good to mix things up - I look at this as having the best of both worlds without having to pay any more money!

[Catrin]

Today I inflicted 3 rounds on myself of:

50 meter 45-lb KB Farmers Carry
50 meter broad jump burpees
50 meter sprint
50 meter KB lunges (22 lbs)

Unashamed to say that this was a butt-kicking! My goal was 5 rounds, but ran out of time on my lunch break. Don't really think I had 2 more full rounds in me anyway. This is an example of the weekly challenge that my strength and conditioning coach gives us. It took me ~31 minutes to do the three rounds, and I don't think that is half bad for this old bird

Of course, now that it might be actually warm enough to take my bike to my favorite park, I've mountain bike event volunteer duties this weekend! Oh well, it will be fun to see old friends.

[Catrin]

Today's workout was rather ironic since I did a solo 500 kettlebell swing workout yesterday (single arm, alternating). I've been working to develop my own home kettlebell gym at home because, frankly, I need to get my butt back in church - and with the summer coming I don't want to be tied to my gym on the weekends. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I need options and I know a lot more about how to develop my own workouts and warmups. I can do a LOT with 3 kettlebell weights, a Jungle Gym and some stretch bands. So, I chose to do that kettlebell endurance workout yesterday because I am doing a 10,000 swing challenge, but I also thought today's workout wouldn't feature kettlebells. That coach does use them, but he doesn't often focus on them...until today. You saw that coming, didn't you?

So today we did 3 rounds of pure kettlebell fun! 1 round of 5 KB exercises - one of each (each arm), 5 times. Round 2 featured the same 5 exercises, 2 reps of each, 5 times through (both arms of course). Round 3 saw 10 reps of each exercise each arm - and for all rounds you complete one side before moving to the other side. To say this was a blaster is an understatement! The 5 exercises were KB swings, cleans, squats, presses, and snatches. The first three are easy for me, the second 2 not so much - which is why I am working with a kettlebell coach. Frankly I shouldn't have done those last 10 snatches, my form was terrible but I did the best I could.

[Catrin]

On one hand I am complaining because I am coughing too much to ride my bike or trail run yet. On the other hand, this weekend I've done all of the following and it has felt great - outside of coughing when running. That WILL pass, and this didn't even tire me. I shouldn't complain

Today I started with 3 sets of heavy barbell weighted hip extensions, and practiced kettlebell cleans between each set. This was on my own before my crazy Sunday Funday group got started - I can't attend as often as I once did so I enjoyed being there today.

We started our group conditioning session with mobility, core and stability work, afterwards there were the following two "main events":

1 racked row
2 pushups
3 bosu getups

The goal is to double each exercise each round until reaching a 10 minute cap OR to reach 10,20,30 reps. I lost count and just continued for the 10 minutes.

15 minutes of the following:

200 meter run plus 5 story stair climb

5 KB "woman-makers" - I won't call them man-makers because I am not a man! Our younger women were giggling and calling them "b*ob makers" This was rather different from others I've done in the past. This version calls for a chest to KB pushup (KB is flat on the ground, not standing up), while remaining in pushup position place one hand behind the back, then the other. Then complete a cheetah movement to get the feet up by the KB, take it by the handle, then stand up and press it overhead. That counts as one movement. It takes a bit of time to do 5 of them well!

400 meter row


Outside of the coughing from the running I felt pretty darn good. This was after my usual Saturday 500-swing kettlebell workout at home yesterday. Now I rest until Tuesday morning! If it were warmer I would at least go walking.

[Catrin]

Great workout today in my new group. My KB coach is very understated, but he proves time and time again that one doesn't need a full hour for a bu**-kicking (it IS an hour long). After warming up & joint mobility work he divided us into partners. He does keep training partners together.

The partner rounds today looked like this:

I did relatively heavy single arm kettlebell swings while my partner completed 10 hip extensions each side, 10 kneeling KB presses (each side individually), 10 KB rows, each side individually. Then he did his swings while I completed the prescribed exercises. We did 4 total rounds, the last two rounds featured single arm cleans rather than swings. Overhead strength is my weakness and we keep pounding away at it like always. The difference now, however, is that I am seeing signs of increasing strength and THAT has NEVER happened regardless of how hard I've worked!

This was a GOOD workout - now I will be taking the next two days off as I've the Dirty Girl Saturday morning