"Crazy 8's"...

My training looked like this today:

Double Swipes - 25lb clubbells - 8x5 - 40 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 8x5 each direction - 80 reps
Hammer Swings - 25lb clubbell - 8x5 each direction - 80 reps

I finished with:

Bear Crawls - 24kg bells - 8x10 - 80 steps
Snatches - 24kg bells - 8x5 each arm - 80 reps

Kettlebell & Clubbell Escalating Density Training (EDT)...

My training looked like this:


PR One - 10 Minutes:
Kettlebell Incline Press - 32kg bells - 50 reps
Double Clubbell Snatches - 15lb clubs - 50 reps

4 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Bear Crawls - 24kg bells - 40 steps
Two Hand KB Curls - 32kg bell - 40 reps

Training & Diet Reference Materials...

I often get asked about different training methods I use and where one might find good information on my diet or different diets available. So I decided to put together a list. It has been somewhat updated since my last post on this subject.


Training Books:

The Big Book of Clubbell Training - Clubbell® Training provides a unique blend of functional, full-range, three-dimensional muscular development that stands in stark contrast to the problematic limitations of conventional two-dimensional linear training. Practicing this system revitalizes, reenergizes and reorganizes every unused and overabused cell in your body from head to toe, core to periphery, and bones to skin. https://rmaxinternational.3dcartstores.com/The-Big-Book-of-Clubbell-Training_p_52-154.html154.html)

Muscle Logic - Trainers and Olympic athletes agree that Escalating Density Training (EDT) really works. Now everyone who works out can learn how to benefit from this superbly effective, time-efficient system. (http://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Logic-Escalating-Density-Training/dp/1594860831)


Enter The Kettlebell - “Pavel’s Kettlebell Training System—The Shortcut To Extreme Strength and Elite Conditioning. Guaranteed.” (http://www.dragondoor.com/b33.html?affid={subid})

Viking Warrior Conditioning - The Scientific Approach to Forging a Heart of Elastic Steel: An Application of The Theory Behind Proper VO2max Training - (http://www.dragondoor.com/b39.html?affid={subid})



Diet Books:

Men's Health TNT Diet - The Explosive New Plan to Blast Fat, Build Muscle, and Get Healthy in 12 Weeks (http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-TNT-Diet-Explosive/dp/1594869766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238100855&sr=1-1)


Better Than Steroids - The meat of the book is the eating plans. I have reviewed the top four eating plans for guaranteed success. They come with detailed instructions on how they work, when they work best, and how to design one for yourself. From leaning up to bulking up, these are the eating plans that work. They teach you how to use the most powerful drug out there, food, to your advantage. I say it all the time, "Anyone can exercise, but only the ones who know HOW to eat make improvements!" (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Steroids-Warren-Willey/dp/1425103391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238100970&sr=1-1)

5x5...

I decided to train for strength today and mix in a few exercises that I normally do not perform.

My training looked like this:

Barbell Clean & Press - 115lbs - 25 reps
Smith Incline Press - 205 - 25 reps
Double Suitcase KB Deadlift - 40kg bells - 25 reps

Viking Warrior Conditioning & Clubbell MVo2 (Mills) ...

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 20 sets of 8 in 9 minutes and 45 seconds.
Snatch - 16kg bell - 20 sets of 8 - 160 reps
 
Then I did:
 
Clubbell Viking Warrior Conditioning - MVo2 - 40 Sets of 7...

I did timed One-handed Mills with the 15lb clubbell today. I did sets of 7 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 40 sets of 7 in 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

One-handed Mills - 15lb club - 20 sets of 7 - 140 reps
 
300 total reps in 10 minutes total work time.

Just Ordered "The Bruiser" Clubbell...

I am having so much fun with my clubbells in addition to my usual kettlebell training that I said "why not" and ordered the 45 lb clubbbell - "The Bruiser". I have been doing some strength/size training with the 25lb clubbell (5x5 - singles and doubles) and want to start working in the 45. I know it is going to take a long time to be able to use it for reps but it give me another goal.

The one thing I like about training for strength is it puts things into perspective. Either you are getting stronger or you are not. I remember when I first snatched the 16kg bell it whipped me so bad it took me days to recover and before long I was able to snatch the 40kg bell at a bodyweight of 159.

So, I may be way over my head but.......I accept the challenge!

Clubbell 5x5, Xvest Training & KB Bear Crawls...

My training looked like this today:

Double Swipes - 25lb clubbells - 25 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Barbarian Squat - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Two-handed Swipe - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Crucifix - 15lb clubbells - 25 reps

Then I:

Walked a half mile with the 40lb Xvest @ 10% incline @ 4MPH
Pull Ups - 40lb Xvest - 25 reps
Push Ups - 40lb Xvest - 25 reps

I finished with:

Bear Crawls - 24kg bells - 100 steps
I definitely fried my CNS as my arms and hands are shaking right now. I am beat!

HIIT Cardo, DB Snatches & HLR...

Still no Kettlebells and Clubbells....

I did a HIIT cardio session today in the treadmill. I alternated walking at 4.0 mph and running at 12 mph for 1.5 miles. I finished in 12 minutes.

Then I did:

DB Snatches - 25lbs - 100 reps
Hanging Leg Raises - 25 reps
 
I will probably take tomorrow off from training as I am flying home.

Bodyweight Training & Misc...

My training looked like this:

Pull Ups - 50 reps
Dips - 50 reps
One Leg Lunge - 50 reps
Plyometric Incline Push Ups - 50 reps
Cable Hammer Curls - 110lbs - 50 reps
Smith Machine Squats - 225lbs - 25 rpes

Dragon Tattoo With Kettlebell In Claw...

Attached is the finished product (for now) of my Dragon Tattoo with the kettlebell in it's claw.

No Training Tomorrow...

I am going to Florida for business tomorrow and am taking the day off from training. No kettlebells and/or clubbells for 4 days. Not fun!

Extreme Kettlebell Cardi Workout & Clubbell Training...

I did 4 rounds of the Extreme KB Cardio Workout with the 16kg bell. It was pretty tough. There were 560 total reps.

 

My training looked like this:

• The Manmaker - 100 reps
• Upper Body Blast - 160 reps
• Leg Burner - 120 reps
• Swing Workout - 180 reps

I finished with some clubbell training:

• 50 One-handed Mills (25 on each side)
• 50 Double Swipes and
  
• 50 Two-handed Hammer Swings (25 per direction)
  

Triples...

My training looked like this today:

Smith Machine Incline Press - 225lbs - 5x3 - 15 reps
Double Snatch - 24kg bells - 5x3 - 15 reps
Double Clean - 32kg bells - 5x3 - 15 reps
Double Row - 32kg bells - 5x3 - 15 reps
One Leg Deadlift - 32kg bell - 5x3 - 15 reps/leg

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.

Viking Warrior Conditioning - Vo2max - 80 Sets of 8 & Clubbell Training...

I felt really strong this morning after eating cleaner carbs yesterday. I am going to try and clean up my eating on the weekends during my reload to see if it effects my training and body composition. By the results of my training this morning I think it will significantly.


I hit the 80 sets of 8 for the third time today in the 15:15 protocol. The last tine I completed 80 sets was April 14th and I have backed off since.  It is really more mental than physical after you have been training for a while. It was tough today but easier than the previous two times. Maybe it is the clubbell training?

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 80 sets of 8 in 39 minutes and 45 seconds.


Snatch - 16kg bell - 80 sets of 8 - 640 reps
 
I felt great when I was done so I finished with:
 
One-handed Arm Cast - 25lb clubbell - 100 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 100 reps

Kettlebell EDT...

My training looked like this:
PR One - 10 Minutes:
Kettlebell Incline Press - 32kg bells - 60 reps
Renegade Rows - 32kg bells - 60 reps

4 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
Renegade Reverse Flys - 12kg bells -  40 reps
Alternating Bottoms Up Curl - 16kg bells - 40 reps

I finished with:
 
Bear Crawls - 24kg bells - 100 steps
One-handed Mills - 15lb clubbell - 100 reps

Clubbell 5x5 and Xvest Training...

My training looked like this today:

Double Swipes - 25lb clubbells - 25 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Barbarian Squat - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Two-handed Swipe - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Crucifix - 15lb clubbells - 25 reps

Then I:

Ran half mile with the 40lb Xvest in 4:30.

I finished with:

Pull Ups - 40lb Xvest - 25 reps
Push Ups - 40lb Xvest - 25 reps

I am beat!

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training. My hands and forearms are still sore from my "Trial by Fire" yesterday. The days off are helping a great deal with my recovery.

"Trial by Fire" - 15lb Clubbells & Clap Push Ups...

I completed the "Trial by Fire" this morning with the 15lb clubbells in 28:22 which is 2:22 minutes faster than my last attempt at 30:44. It seemed tougher AGAIN than last time because my grip was gone as I approached a third of the way through! It became as much mental as physical as I just kept pushing to get done.

My training looked like this:

Trial by Fire is done with a set of 15 lbs Clubbells®, and consists of:

130 One-handed Mills on each side
130 Double Swipes and
130 Two-handed Hammer Swings (65 per direction)

I finished with:
Clap Push Ups - 25 reps

I plan on taking tomorrow OFF from training.

Freehand Drawing Of My Dragon Tattoo With A Kettlebell In It's Claw...

Day Off..

I am taking today off from training.

"300" Kettlebell & Clubbell Reps PLUS Ran One Mile with 40lb Xvest...

My training looked like this today:

Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 50 reps
Arm Cast - 25lb clubbell - 100 reps

Then I ran one mile in 10:45 while wearing the 40lb Xvest.

I finished with:

One Arm Incline KB Press - 32kg bell - 50 reps
One-Handed Mills - 15lb clubbell - 50 reps
Two-handed Hammer Swings - 25lb clubbell - 50 reps
 
I have been feeling great lately strength wise. I may practice yoga and/or do some light stretching tomorrow or take the day off from training. I also plan on going almost carb free for the next 2 weeks just to press reset. Sometimes that is all I need to lean out a bit.

Kettlebells, Clubbells & "Xvest" Training...

My training looked like this today:

I started with timed snatches with the 16kg bell. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 20 sets of 8 in 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 20 sets of 8 - 160 reps
 
Then is did:
 
Double Swipes - 25lb clubbells - 25 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Barbarian Squat - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Two-handed Swipe - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps
Crucifix - 15lb clubbells - 25 reps
 
I finished with:
 
Alternating walking @ 3.7 MPH and a slow run @ 7.5 MPH for a half mile while wearing the 40lb Xvest. It took me 6 minutes to finish the half mile. I eventually want to be able to complete a mile in under 10 minutes while wearing the vest.

EDT - Kettlebells & Clubbells...

My training looked like this:

PR One - 15 Minutes:
Incline KB Press - 24kg bells - 90 reps
High Pull - 24kg bells - 90 reps

5 Minute Rest

PR Two - 10 Minutes:
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 70  reps
One-handed Swipes - 25lb clubbell - 70 reps

I finished with:

One-Handed Mills  - 15lb clubbell - 50 reps
Two-handed Hammer Swings - 15lb clubbell - 50 reps

The 15lb clubbell felt like a feather afer 140 reps with the 25lb clubbell in 10 minutes. This workout kicked my ass big time!

Core Training: Kettlebell & Clubbell...

I used the kettlebell and the clubbell this morning to do some core exercises that I would normally just use a kettlebell. I also wanted to keep my session short andf light as more of a back off/recovery workout.

My training looked like this:

Hand 2 Hand Clean - 16kg bell - 40 reps
Windmill - 16kg bell - 20 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 16kg bell - 40 reps
Hand 2 Hand Clean - 15lb cubbell - 40 reps
Windmill - 15lb clubbell - 20 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb clubbell - 40 reps

I finished with:
Hanging Leg Raises - 25 reps

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.

Feeling Great: Because of Kettlebells & Clubbells...

I was just thinking about the fact that I turned 40 this year and feel the best I have in my life! I attribute most of this to my training, my diet and more time for rest and recovery. I have been training with kettlebells for 6 years now (ever since my wife gave birth to our triplets in October 2003) and am still hooked on them. There is nothing better than looking forward to training. I love it so much I have certifications from 3 different places (RKC, AOS & AKC) even though I do not train any clients. It is just a passion of mine.

Recently I have started using clubbells and feel that they are the perfect complement to my training. The clubbells have "filled in the gaps" in my training and my shoulders have blown up size wise while never felling better. They are everything that the kettlebells are....only different!

I feel better at 40 years old than I did at 20. My only question is how young would I feel at 20 if I could have started then??

The main point - find what you like and just do it!

"Trial by Fire" - 15lb Clubbells...

I completed the "Trial by Fire" this morning with the 15lb clubbells in 30:44 which is 4 1/2 minutes faster than my first attempt at 35:18. It seemed tougher than last time because my grip was gone as I approached a third of the way through! It became as much mental as physical as I just kept pushing to get done. Definately a good feeling of accomplishment when I put the clubs down after my last double swipe.

My training looked like this:
Trial by Fire is done with a set of 15 lbs Clubbells®, and consists of:

130 One-handed Mills on each side
130 Double Swipes and
130 Two-handed Hammer Swings (65 per direction)

I plan on taking tomorrow OFF from training.

5x5...

My training looked like this:

One Arm KB Floor Press - 40kg bell - 25 reps per arm
Double KB Row - 40kg bells - 25 reps
Upright Row - 48kg bell - 25 reps
Two-handed Shield Cast - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps each direction
One-handed Arm Cast - 25lb clubbell - 25 reps per arm

I finshed with:

Two-handed Swipes - 25lb clubbell - 25 consecutive reps

Day Off...

Today is another scheduled off day from training.

My weekely schedule should look like this:

Monday - Off
Tuesday - Heavy Day
Wednesday - Clubbells
Thursday - Off
Friday - Flow Yoga
Saturday - EDT (KB & CB)
Sunday - Kettlebell MVo2

Viking Warrior Conditioning - Vo2max - 30 Sets of 8 & Clubbell "Trial by Fire" Practice...

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 30 sets of 8 in 14 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 30 sets of 8 - 240 reps

Then:
 
I did 100 reps with the 15lb clubbell in each of the Trial By Fire exercises: Swipes, Mills and Hammers.

• 100 Double Swipes (2 Clubbells)
• 100 Mills Alternating (50 Right / 50 Left)
• 100 Hammer Swings (two-handed: 50 Clockwise / 50 Counter-Clockwise)

For more info on the above workouts click below:
Kettlebells - Viking Warrior Conditioning
Clubbells - Circular Strength Training

Anabolic Diet Goes Mainstream....

If you have read this blog then you know that I have been following the "Anabolic Diet" for over 5 years with much success. Recently I ran across an article in Men's Health touting the TNT Diet which is basically the Anabolic Diet presented in a more mainstream manner. Funny how what was once viewed as strange, weird or extreme is getting great feedback from the general public...maybe because it works?

My only problem is that no credit is given to previous versions of the diet like the original "Anabolic Diet" or "Body Opus" - the reader is lead to believe that the authors are the ones who created this "groundbreaking" nutritional plan for separating carbs from protein and fat.

Attached is a link to the book :

(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594866597/bookstorenow18-20)

and a synopsis of the material contained within. Enjoy!

Book Description:

"Hey, Guys! Want to trade your fat for muscle? It's finally possible, thanks to the Men's Health TNT Diet. TNT - or Targeted Nutrition Tactics - is a scientifically designed program that can be customized for any body, including yours. It's as easy as knowing what to eat, and when to eat it. So whether you have a lot of fat to lose or just a little, TNT has a plan to fit your goals. In fact, TNT works not only for the guy who wants to lose 50 pounds of flab but also for the guy who wants to trade 10 pounds of fat for 10 pounds of muscle. Just as important, the TNT diet significantly reduces the risk for heart disease and diabetes, a finding that's been scientifically proven in studies at the University of Connecticut. The results of these studies, which you'll read about inside, are amazing. The best part? The TNT Diet and accompanying exercise plan couldn't be simpler. In fact, throughout the book, you'll find out why you can:-Stop counting calories. The TNT Diet reprograms your appetite, allowing your own body to regulate the amount you eat. So you'll never feel like you're on a diet, even though you'll look like it. -Go back to enjoying the foods you love - like prime rib, omelets, and even butter. Through a revealing report, you'll see why fat - even saturated fat - isn't the dietary demon it's been made out to be. -Exercise just 90 minutes a week. Instead of exercising in the so-called fat-burning zone, you'll learn how to exercise in the carb-burning zone. This is the secret to making your workouts both shorter and more effective.So what's stopping you? The Men's Health TNT Diet provides all the tools you need to dramatically transform your body - both inside and out."

I truly believe that my passion for kettlebells was also fueled by me finding this diet at about the same time. I was able to totally transform by body in a few short months with the combination of kettlebell circuit training and the anabolic diet.

Check out my article for yourself -

http://www.kettlebellinc.com/kettlebellinfo/obrien-leanandstrong.php?art_id=0&art_auth=obrien

EDT - Kettlebells & Clubbells...

My training looked like this:

PR One - 10 Minutes:
Incline Kettlebell Flys - 20kg bells - 70 reps
Double KB Rows - 24kg bells - 35 reps

3 Minute Rest

PR Two - 5 Minutes:
One-handed Mills - 15lb clubbell - 50 reps
Two-handed Swipes - 15lb clubbell - 25 reps

I finished with:
Shield Cast - 15lb clubbell - 40 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 15lb clubbell - 50 reps
Windmill into Overhead Squat - 15lb clubbell - 9 reps of each exercise each side

Intu-Flow®...

I performed Intu-Flow® this morning as a way to give my body:

• Deep Relaxation
• Whole Body Tension Release
• Enhanced Joint Mobility

Intu-Flow® is an exceptionally effective joint mobility program which produces pain-free, energized results faster than you would ever think possible! Referred to variously as ‘yoga in motion,’ ‘tai chi without the fluff,’ or ‘hi-tech Qigong’.

Check it out here: Intu-FLow

Day Off...

I am taking today off from training.