Legs

I trained legs this morning while trying to mix it up a bit. I am trying to stay motivated with my herniated disk in my neck and doing my best. Seeing the specialist today who should move me to the next Dr. to get a cortisone shot. I am hoping that it helps and fixes the pinched nerve.

Prisoner Squats - Body weight - 5 sets of 10 - 50 reps
Dragon Walks - Body weight - 5 sets of 10 steps each leg - 100 reps
Single Leg Step Ups (bottom leg never touches the floor) - Body weight - 5 sets of 10 each leg - 100 reps
Calf Raises - Body weight - 5 sets of 10 each leg - 100 reps
One Leg Deadlift - 16kg bell - 5 sets of 5 each leg - 50 reps

I did the above in a circuit with no rest in between in about 20 minutes time.

My weight was down to 156 this morning with 7.9% body fat. The fact that I have continued to follow the Anabolic Diet during this time has kept me lean. When I am better I plan to go back to a 40% carb - 40% protein and 20% fat diet for a month to 6 weeks to try to regain the 15 lbs I have lost from not training upper body for 10 weeks and atrophy.

New Link..The Training Syndicate!

I have added a great new link to my blog - The Training Syndicate - http://www.trainingsyndicate.com/ which is sort of a warehouse for training blogs. Check it out!

Abs

Short Ab training today. I took a day off from cardio because I was not feeling it.

Sitting Knee Ins - 5 sets of 10 - 50 reps
Standing Knee Ups - 5 sets of 10 each leg - 100 reps
Decline Sit Ups - 4 sets of 25 - 100 reps


I am currently doing legs 3 times a week and abs/core 3 times a week with cardio thrown in about 4 times a week. I will stay on this schedule until I can resume regular upper body training and the pinched nerve is under control.

"350" - Legs

I felt good this morning and want to start increasing the strength building of my leg workouts in addition to the strength/endurance aspect.

I did 350 total reps which consisted of the following:

One Leg Step Up - Body weight - 5 sets of 10 each leg - 100 reps
One Leg Deadlift - 12kg bell - 5 sets of 5 each leg - 50 total reps
Prisoner Squats - Body weight - 10 sets 0f 10 - 100 total reps
Calf Raises - 24kg bell - 5 sets of 10 each leg - 100 total reps

Abs & Sprint Incline

Today I did an ab circuit and then 20 minutes of cardio and then repeated the ab circuit again.

The Ab circuit consisted of:

Sitting Knee Ups - 2 sets of 15 - 30 reps
Decline Sit Ups - 2 sets of 15 each leg - 30 reps
Plank - 30 seconds - 2 sets
Child's Pose - 30 seconds - 2 sets

My cardio was 15 minutes of alternating walking and running at a 15% incline on the treadmill. The running part was 20 seconds every 1 minutes . I burned 245 calories and had a maximum HR of 174. My max speed was 8.5 mph.

Then I finished with:

Sitting Knee Ups - 2 sets of 15 - 30 reps
Decline Sit Ups - 2 sets of 15 - 30 reps
Plank - 30 seconds - 2 sets
Child's Pose - 30 seconds - 2 sets

Xvest Leg Training & Interval Sprint Incline

I put on the 40lb Xvest today and did a short leg workout. I have to remember to keep my Xvest training short because the 40lb weight really adds a lot more resistance than it seems to. Although you can really feel the difference when you take it off. I weighed 155 this morning so the 40 extra lbs is a 25.8% increase in my body weight.

The following was done with no rest in between sets:

Prisoner Squats - 25 reps
Bench Pistols - 5 reps each leg
Walking Lunges - 10 steps each leg
Prisoner Squats - 25 reps
Bench Pistols - 10 steps each leg
Walking Lunges - 10 steps each leg.

Then I did 15 minutes on the treadmill at at 15% incline. I alternated walking at 4.0 mph for 40 seconds and running for 20 seconds each minute. I started the run at 4.5 mph and worked my way up to 8.0 mph by the end of the workout. I burned 240 calories and my max HR was 174.

ABs & Incline Run/Walk

With my recent setback in arm pain I am not planning ANY upper body training until told otherwise by the Dr.'s and I am completely healed. I obviously resumed training too soon and will end up doing permanent damage to my nerve if I push it too much. For once I wish I didn't have an addiction to training....maybe I would have healed sooner.

Today I did an ab circuit and then 20 minutes of cardio.

The Ab circuit consisted of:

Sitting Knee Ups - 3 sets of 15 - 45 reps
Standing Knee Ups - 3 sets of 15 each leg - 45 reps each leg
Decline Sit Ups - 3 sets of 15 each leg - 45 reps

I did the above in a circuit with no rest in between each exercise.

I finished with 20 minutes of alternating walking and running at a 15% incline on the treadmill. The running part was only 20 seconds every 2 minutes but it felt great. I burned 305 calories and had a maximum HR of 184. Pretty good considering my max at my age should be 182.

Bodyweight Legs....I better get used to this!

I repeated tuesday's leg workout. Getting pretty boring but it beats not training at all. I am down to about 157 with about 8.5% bodyfat.

Bodyweight Legs

I need to back off of upper body training until I am fully healed. I felt good last week and resumed light training and now am paying the price pain wise. So, the goal now is legs and core training.

With that in mind I did a 20 minute body weight leg training session. The following exercises were done with no rest in between:

Step Ups - 10 each leg
Bench Pistols - 5 each leg
Steps Ups- 10 each leg
Bench Pistols - 5 each leg
Step Ups - 10 each leg
Bench Pistols - 5 each leg
Step Ups - 10 each leg
Bench Pistols - 5 each leg
Step Ups - 10 each leg
Bench Pistols - 5 each leg
Bench Jumps - 10 reps
Dragon Walks - 10 steps each leg
Bench Jumps - 10 reps
Dragon Walks - 10 steps each leg

I tested my HR when I was done using a treadmill and also manually and it was 158. It is pretty amazing the workout you can get using just your body weight and a plan.

Abs & Core

Today I did a freestyle ab and core workout. I did not plan it thoroughly and just did a bunch of exercises as I thought of them to keep my body guessing. There was no method to my madness and I did not keep a record of number of sets or amount of time per exercise.

The following exercises were completed:

Plank
Child's Pose
Decline Sit Up
Knee Up
Windmill - 16kg kettlebell
Windmill - 24lb barbell
Shot Training - 12lb shot - High Toss, Low Toss, Windmill, Get Up Sit Up, Slingshot

My training lasted for about 30 minutes and was brief but intense. I tried to stretch my back, shoulders and chest as much as possible between sets.

EDT - Upper Body

I have had to adjust my training to train around my disk injury while still trying to make progress even if it is incremental. I have found that using body weight exercises in an modified manner has allowed me to train while minimizing my discomfort.

I found a good way to use the smith machine to allow me to do pull ups and push ups without putting too much pressure on my neck. I have been doing "Horizontal Pull ups" where I put my feet on a Swiss ball and lay horizontal while using the smith machine bar to do a pull up while trying to keep your body as flat as possible during the exercise. You can vary the exercise by doing a chin up in the same manner.

Push ups and chest/tri training have been my main problem because the nerve that is damaged runs down my right triceps and makes it virtually impossible for me to doing any chest/tri work with my right side where I am in the flat or prone position. I have found that if I vary the angle slightly and press at an incline I can complete the exercise. So I have been doing push ups on the smith machine bar with it set on the lowest pin. The 12 - 14 inch angle gives me enough relief to be able to complete the reps and provides a totally different feel that regular push ups. Again I try to vary the exercise by reversing my grips where I am using more biceps as the ancillary muscle involved.

My training looked like this today:

First PR - 15 minutes
Horizontal Pull ups - 45 reps & Horizontal Chins - 15 reps - 60 total reps
Incline Push ups - 45 reps & Incline Reverse Push ups - 15 reps - 60 total reps

3 Minute Rest

Second PR - 10 Minutes
Iron Kettlebell Cross - 12kg bell - 35 reps
Drag Curls - 45lb barbell - 35 total reps

Windmills & Shot Training

Today I did some windmills with both the barbell and kettlebells. You can't beat the stretch and core work of windmills. The sets looked like this:

Barbell Windmills - 35lbs - 5 sets of 3 each side - 30 total reps
Double KB Windmills - 16kg bells - 5 sets of 3 each side - 30 total reps

Then I grabbed the 12lb shot and did a 5 minute circuit. It consisted of the following exercises:

High Toss
Low Toss
Standing Hot Potato
Hot Potato Sit Up
Standing Knee Ups
Slingshot
Get Up Sit Up

The shot really mixes things up and hopefully will help aid in my rehab.

EDT - Legs

I did a EDT leg training session this morning.

First PR - 10 Minutes
Two Handed Swings - 24kg bell - 60 reps
Sumo Deadlift - 24kg bell - 30 reps

1 Minute rest

Second PR - 5 Minutes
Prisoner Squats - Body Weight - 35 reps
Dragon Walks - Body Weight - 35 steps

I am aiming for balance and exercises that will not put much if any stress on my disks. I focused on the hip snap on the swings and hamstring strength to drive the bell forward. Felt great all things considered!

Core Work

I got the MRI results yesterday. I have an herniated disk at C5/6 in my neck and a bulging disk at C7. The next step is a cortisone or pregnizone shot in my neck to reduce the swelling on the disk and reduce the pressure on the nerve root. At least I know where I stand and will progress accordingly. That being said I am still planning on training while being careful not to make the situation worse.

Today I did some core work:

Barbell Windmills - 35lb bar - 3 set of 5 each side - 30 total reps
Get Up Sit Ups - 12kg bell - 3 sets of 5 each side - 30 total reps
Hanging Leg Raises - 3 sets of 10 - 30 total reps
Rope Crunches - 3 sets of 10 - 100lbs, 120lbs, 140lbs - 30 total reps

I am keeping a positive attitude about my injury. I know a few people with the same situation who a doing very well and I plan to join them in good health.

EDT - Upper Body

I did a light & short EDT upper body training session for the first time in a while this morning. I avoided any major triceps work and felt good. The first PR was 10 minutes and the second 5.

First PR - 10 Minutes

KB Pullovers - 16kg bell - 40 total reps
Horizontal Pull ups - Body weight - 25 total reps

3 minute rest

Second PR - 5 Minutes

KB C & P - 16kg bell - 30 total reps
Slingshot - 16kg bell - 60 total reps

Mixing It Up!

Today I trained my core with kettlebells and then tried some kettlebell exercises with a barbell for added intensity and balance/coordination work.

I started with a super set with kettlebells. The set looked like this:

Windmills - 5 sets of 5 - 24kg bell, 24kg bell, 16kg bell, 16kg bell, 16kg bell - 50 total reps

One Leg Deadlift into One Leg Clean & Press - 5 sets of 5 - 16kg bell, 16kg bell, 12 kg bell, 12kg bell, 12kg bell - 50 total reps

Then I alternated:

Plank - 30 seconds
Childs Pose - 30 seconds
Plank - 30 seconds
Childs Pose - 30 seconds
Plank - 30 seconds
Childs Pose - 30 seconds

The plank is great for core strength while the childs pose (more of a pilates/yoga move I saw my wife doing) is a great stretch for your upper body and quads. I sometimes think that training static strength is harder than doing a more active workout. Harder mentally at least!

I decided to finish with windmills and TGU's but I wanted to add a twist. I used a regular barbell. It increased the difficulty of the exercises and added some work on flexibility, coordination and balance.

Windmills into TGU - 3 sets of windmills on one side then 1 set of TGU:

15lb barbell, 25 lb barbell, 35 lb barbell, 45 lb barbell

4 total sets - 24 total windmill reps and 8 total TGU reps

The last reps with the 45lb barbell I used the Olympic Bar. It was an exercise in total body strength as you have to use perfect form to complete the rep without dropping the bar. Definitely a challenge and great exercise that I will incorporate going forward.

Kettlebell Circuit Training

Had the MRI yesterday so I should find out results early next week.

Today I did a full body kettlebell circuit. One minute of work per exercise with a 30 second rest between each exercise.

I used the 16kg bell for all the exercises.

I checked my heart rate at the end of my circuit and it was 158.

Windmills ...And Rehab

This morning I did some windmills to increase my hip and shoulder flexibility after my injury. I did 5 sets of 5 reps on each side with the 20kg bell. It felt good to work the core and stabilize my shoulder joint with some moderate weight. I also did 3 set of 10 of hanging leg raises. I finished with 5 set of 10 triceps cable pull downs (one arm) with 30lbs. I have some considerable atrophy in my right triceps because if the nerve problem and need to get the blood flowing while helping my muscle memory kick start the healing process.

Tomorrow I have a schedule like a pro athlete in terms of rehab. I have the following schedules:

MRI - 6:15am
Chiropractor - 10 am
Physical Therapy - 10:30 am
Deep Tissue Massage 1:40pm

Enough is enough! I am going to attack this from all angles and get this thing figured about. I appreciate everyone's feedback, support, advice and guidance during this trying time. I have tried to approach this situation from a holistic viewpoint and hope that with a multi-pronged approach I will be able to regain my health and resume training. I hope this blog helps others in their quest to better themselves health wise and deal with any injuries they may encounter.

Salisbury Lacrosse Hit

Pretty intense hit during a lacrosse game at Salisbury State in MD.

Chiropractor Visit & Upcoming MRI

I have noticed significant strength loss in my right arm - specifically the triceps since I resumed light upper body training. I took today off but did visit the chiropractor for an adjustment. C7 was way out of whack and he got it back into alignment. He commented that a loss of strength for an injury like this is not uncommon and that I should see noticeable improvement (especially if there is no disk damage).

My MRI is scheduled for Friday morning at 6:15 am so at least I will have a clearer picture of the problem. Hopefully the disks are OK. I am feeling better after the chiropractor visit and hope it is at least the start of my full recovery.

Core Work

In an effort to progress slowly from my injury I have decided to do some core work 2 to 3 days a week starting today.

Today I did:

Windmills - 16kg - 5 sets of 5 each arm - 50 total reps
TGU's - 16kg - 5 sets of 3 each arm - 30 total reps
Slingshots - 16kg - 5 sets of 10 each direction - 100 total reps
Rope Crunches - 5 set of 10 - 100lbs, 110lbs, 120lbs, 130lbs, 140lbs - 50 total reps

I am progressing day by day and feeling slightly stronger with each passing moment.

Light Kettlebell CIrcuit Training & AKC Review

Today I did some light and short kettlebell circuit training along the lines of "Providence".

I have another PT session today and am feeling better but plan on continuing it until my strength is back to 100%. I am also waiting to hear on my MRI appointment. Aetna is dragging their feet on the approval. I thought I was paying insurance premiums for a reason but I do not want to turn this into a rant!


I have been lazy in posting my review of the Amercian Kettlebell Certification but will now summarize my thoughts.

I thought it was very informative. It focused mainly on training for GS events but brought along alot of practical applications that I can use in my training. The focus was on the one arm jerk, the long cycle jerk, and the snatch. The three exercises are the staple of a GS event and I believe it is important to get proper instruction if competing is one of you main goals. One of the reasons I went was because I am interested in competing in GS as ONE of my motivations for training. I also want to have the knowledge to pass along to clients that I may train in the future who want to compete in GS and increase their numbers.

But I also do agree that there can be two styles of kettlebell lifting. GS aims for efficiency in the lifts for better results where I believe the RKC style if better suited for strength and size results because efficiency is not the main goal but the intensity of the training. I think that the RKC style better suits my personality and main goal for training. I am aiming for a strong as I look body as a priority while "the numbers" are secondary.

I would like to get to about 175lbs while maintaining a body fat level of about 8%. Neither of these things have much relevance to GS training. I also enjoy the multitude of KB lift available to me on a daily basis and enjoy mixing up my training very often. This is the main thing that attracted my to kettlebell lifting in the first place and is why I love it so much.

I hope in the future that all the different camps of kettlebell training can come together to unite so our "sport" can be broadcast to the world as the best tool for strength & conditioning available!

Pain Free for 48 Hours!

I have been pain free since Friday afternoon. I still have the numb finger so I know there is still a nerve problem but I think and hope I am on the other side of the mountain. With that in mind I am going to continue with PT until I am back to 100% in terms of strength and flexibility.

Saturday (5/5) I did a very light (mostly 12kg bell) and very short (30 seconds per exercise) version of Anthony Diluglio's "Providence". It felt good to get the blood flowing but I consider myself someone rehabbing and injury so I am going to take it easy.

Today I woke up without any pain except for some minor muscle sorness since I have not really done any upper body training in about 6 weeks. I did some light TGU's and some windmills.

My plan is to take it easy and stick to kettlebell circuit training for about a month while obviously listening to my body along the way. I hope to do "Providence" 3 times a week and "Firepower" once a week until I can build up my strength and strength endurance. I will worry about where to go from there....when I get to that point.

Pain Free for 48 Hours!

I have been pain free since Friday afternoon. I still have the numb finger so I know there is still a nerve problem but I think and hope I am on the other side of the mountain. With that in mind I am going to continue with PT until I am back to 100% in terms of strength and flexibility.

Saturday (5/5) I did a very light (mostly 12kg bell) and very short (30 seconds per exercise) version of Anthony Diluglio's "Providence". It felt good to get the blood flowing but I consider myself someone rehabbing and injury so I am going to take it easy.

Today I woke up without any pain except for some minor muscle sorness since I have not really done any upper body training in about 6 weeks. I did some light TGU's and some windmills.

My plan is to take it easy and stick to kettlebell circuit training for about a month while obviously listening to my body along the way. I hope to do "Providence" 3 times a week and "Firepower" once a week until I can build up my strength and strength endurance. I will worry about where to go from there....when I get to that point.

Legs - Xvest Training & Abs

Yesterday (5/3) I forgot to log my training. I just did 20 minutes of the elliptical trainer for a total of 275 calories burned.

Today I did some more leg training with the 40lb Xvest and some ab exercises for good measure.

I started with a body weight superset to get my heart rate up. I did 5 circuits of the following with no rest in between sets:

Prisoner Squats - 5 sets of 10 - 50 total reps
Bench Jumps - 5 sets of 10 - 50 total reps

Then I put on the 40lb Xvest for the following:

Prisoner Squats - 2 sets of 10 - 20 total reps
Step Ups - 2 sets of 10 each leg - 40 total reps
Dragon Walks - 2 sets of 20 each leg - 40 total steps
Incline Treadmill Walk (15% @ 3.5 mph) for 15 minutes

I finished with the following ab circuit:

Knee Ups - 5 sets of 15 - 75 total reps
Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets of 10 - 50 total reps
Decline Sit Ups - 5 sets of 15 - 75 total reps

Yesterday I added carbs back into my diet and gained 8 lbs in 24 hours (obviously water weight) but now I am at 159. My body fat % was 7.9% this morning so I will focus on that until I can resume upper body training. I have an appointment with the Dr. today and hope to get some answers.

Bodyweight Legs...

Last night I took the dog for a brisk 2 mile walk. Felt good to get the blood pumping and gave me time to put my injury in perspective. I need to take one step at a time and devise a training plan when I am healed so this does not happen again.

This morning I trained legs with my bodyweight only - My main training going forward until I am fully recovered. I have dropped down to 151 lbs from 165 about 4 weeks ago but my bodyfat is about 8% so I guess it is better to be lean than "skinny fat". I am going to focus on increasing my leg strength and GH release with high rep bodyweight leg exercises and try to stay as lean as possible before I resume full body training.

Today I did the following:

Pistols - (rock bottom while using the smith machine for balance) - 5 sets of 5 each leg - 25 reps each leg

supersetted with

Prisoner Squats - 5 sets of 10 - 50 reps

Then I did a circuit of the following:

Dragon Walks - 2 sets of 20 steps - 40 total steps each leg
Hanging Leg Raises - 2 sets of 10 - 20 reps
Reverse Crunches - 2 sets of 10 - 20 reps

I hope to get an MRI this weekend so I can measure the extent of my injury and figure out where to go from here!

Kettlebells Going Mainstream...

Recently I ran across an old issue of National Geographic/Adventure and was surprised to see some info on kettlebells. It was in the Feb. 2006 issue so it is a bit outdated -

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0602/gear/home_gyms_gallery2.html.

Below is the excerp of the blurb:

Back to Basics - Kettlebells:

A staple of Russian fitness regimens since the 18th century, this cousin to a cannonball delivers a blistering strength workout. The classic kettlebell swing works almost every major muscle in the body ($100 for 18 pounds (8 kilograms), pictured below left; $90 for 35 pounds (16 kilograms); http://www.russiankettlebells.com/). To improve your form and learn other exercises, check out the well-done and comically named instructional videos Cruel and Unusual Kettlebell Exercises for Real Men ($40) and From Russia With Tough Love ($30).

Pretty cool to start seeing info on the bells popping up in unusual places.