Thursday, December 9, 2010

Back To Basics via 4 Hour Body

I can't even begin to write about all of the stuff going on......

Obviously I have some part in he book, "4 Hour Body", which has a release date of 12/15....a week away, and I have to be honest and say that I haven't read it because I'm still eagerly awaiting my copy...but having read Tim Ferris's last book, "The 4 Hour Work Week", I have a pretty good idea of what to expect.....maybe!

Anyway, thinking about what may be in the book, I decided to re-visit some of my old training methods...still every bit releveant, of course, but I've come such a long way since by adding much more advanced interval training as well as more complicated choreography.....but still the original training ideas are the foudantion of everything I do now.

This morning I started out training with one of my best clients (and you'll see her in my next two videos) Sabina....She's always "game" for whatever I have on my agenda...today? 1000 swings, done "old style", or should I say "Tracystyle"?

Here's the thing....will you show up and do the dirty work? The "dirty work" is plain and simple rep after rep, after rep. Will you do 1000 swings on your own? Well I will! Why? Because there is nothing else I could do in less than 1 hours time that will burn more calories (fat), or build more muscle and cardio endurance in less time than the kettlebell swing....period.


Old Style Tracyrif 100 rep swing combinations

1 st rotation

20 2 hd sw
20 tr
1 sw, 1 tr x 10 (20 reps)
5/5 1 hand swings x 2 (20 reps)
20 2 hd sw
2 1/2 minutes work/1 min. rest

2nd rotation

20 2 hd sw
1 sw, 1 tr x 10 (20 reps)
5/5 1 hand swings x 2 (20 reps)
20 tr
20 2 hd sw

2 1/2 minutes work/1 min. rest

3rd rotation

20 2 hd sw
5/5 1 hand swings x 2 (20 reps)
20 tr
1 sw, 1 tr (20 reps)
20 2 hd sw

2 1/2 minutes work/1 min. rest

repeat, in order, 10 times = 1000 reps (ends with the 1st rotation btw) Bleeping Hell! When I'm dripping sweat in a 45 degree garage, sucking wind, even with a 1 minute rest period....well, you know it's a freakin' hard workout!


We warmed up, and "cooled down" with 10, 20, 30 , 40 2 hd swings with equal work/rest for total of an additional 200 reps.


1200 swing reps in less than 50 minutes time...oh, and I used the 16kg.....


Here is the link to the original workout, more than 2 years
ago....http://tracyrif.blogspot.com/2008/04/me-and-marla-marlas-combination.html



OK, so 1200 + swings down...now? My own workout! I started to tape a portion of a high volume swing/snatch workout that I want to replicate this weekend in my 9:00am Saturday class.....but I didn't get the camera angle right and I chopped off my head!




You will have to wait until Saturday to see the evil I've come up with!



Life is so freakin' good. oh....and right now I've got an upsidedown turkey in the oven...pictures and blogpost to follow....

16 comments:

Diana said...

That's the best way to cook a turkey! Tits down!!!

Say "HI" to Sabina for me!!! Those were a great bunch of girls I met way back then.......

"Rep after rep after rep after rep"......love it! I'm starting to do these with my 20kg-Holy Mother of God this is fun shit!!!

anna said...

Dear Tracey,

I have been following your blog for a couple of months, took some classes to learn how to properly swing and am finally on my way to a healthier body. also watching my food and eating lots of veggies! since i have always loved them it isn't that hard actually.... The first 7 kg are gone.
Since i am just a beginner posting your basic swing workouts is a great incentive. Your dvd is also fabulous because i am really learning how to train myself instead of handing that responsability to someone else, and training at home is (for now) my only option. I live in Amsterdam (the netherlands) and the american bookstore here already sells "the four hour body" so i got out last week to get it just because i read on your blog you were in it. And i can tell you:Fantastic Reading!!!!
You are a great inspirator and if you ever come to Amsterdam i'd love to be instructed by you. Please keep doing what you do because for someone like me with a lot of weight to lose you make me feel that i can. You give me strength! And now i'm going back to my 12kg swings (another form of strength;-) A big virtual hug from Amsterdam.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Diana,

Have I ever told you that you have such a way with words? LOL

The turkey came out freakin fabulous....but it always does!

I'm experimenting with a few training theories right now...bell size is one of them.....more to come

Tracy Reifkind said...

Anna,

Getting comments like yours makes my day! So thank you!

I just finished taping a great work along video for all levels, but most appropriate for beginners and "advanced" beginners...you'll love it!

Mark and I are starting to travel regularly, already scheduled for Ireland and Hungary next year, so I hope it's just a matter of time before our paths cross.

Congratulations on you success so far, and it sounds like you have the momentum to go all the way!

Unknown said...

Oh I am so doing this workout tonight, looks awesome :)

Any hints on your DVD coming out? I seem to remember Rif expressing a hope that it would be in time for Christmas. *crosses fingers*

On food, I purchased the Complete Meat cookbook after you recommended it and I love it. Thank you :)

I was wondering if you were familiar with The Flavour Bible? I was using mine last night to make home made chicken soup and it struck me that it would be right up your street if you didn't have it already. It's not recipes, you look up Chicken for instance and it tells you all the herbs and spices, vegetables and other foods that go with it, like white beans, apricots, tomatoes etc, along with what cooking techniques work best.

Great for people like me who just like to raid the cupboards and throw stuff together and see what happens :)

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Bible-Essential-Creativity-Imaginative/dp/0316118400

Haley said...

Awesome! It sounds like everything is going your way lately, and you deserve it! You've worked hard (to put it lightly) to get here, and you deserve all the success that's coming your way!! Truly an inspiration! :)

Tracy Reifkind said...

Morkai,

Actually, I could do this workout at least twice a month! Good Lord, could it be any easier?

I'm currently editing the two workout videos that I taped last month, and it will be ready by the first of the year.

One is a scalable workout for all levels, and the second is an advanced Roundabout workout....seriously! By the time you get to the last half...you'll see me lose about 2 pounds from the start to the finish, lol...same with everybody else BTW!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Haley...

as always, I value your interest and support....that doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you when you are in town and honor me with your presence in one of my classes!

Juci SFG said...

Tracy,
Thanks for this workout too :)
Yesterday we did 8 sets altogether, which amounts to 800 swings within half an hour.
Some asses have been kicked again. Including mine allright :)

This is excellent.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Juci,

This is one of my all time favorites....I think I may cycle it in weekly for about 6 weeks!

dara said...

Hey Tracy!
I wrote you for the first time over the weekend hoping to score a copy of your free beginner's workout video----and now I've had the pleasure of doing this workout since you posted it! Thank you! It goes by in a flash, I like mixing it up,and I'm definitely sweating and get my heartrate way up there by the time I"m done. I only have a 15 lb kettlebell right now, and can't afford quite yet to graduate to the 26lb/12kg bell. My question is: do you think I can build some muscle to help rev my metabolism using that weight? I don't get sore at all, which makes me kind of worry that it's not heavy enough. Whaddya think? Thanks so much for all the inspiration....I'm reading on here daily!
Dara

Tracy Reifkind said...

Dara,

Did you not get it? Mark sent the flip video file to you on Saturday...

Charlie said...

You are CRAZY...in the best way possible. I have done the RKC twice, but this sounds harder than any of those workouts. I am intrigued.

I've been doing KB Burn, and during today's workout did 250 swings in 10 minutes, but I really want to try your workouts now!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Charlie,

My training reflects my needs...getting the biggest bag for my buck!

This workout is part of a group of routines I write that I call "100"

100 swings (at a time) 100 snatches (working up to a single or multiple sets of 100 reps), etc.

Have fun with it. I'll be doing it again, but a little differently tomorrow morning.

dara said...

No, sorry Tracy, I didn't get it- but thanks to Mark for making the effort! If he has time to try again I'd be grateful! Are you going to post what version of the 100's you did today? I'm getting ready to do mine. Seriously, it's amazing-- I LOVE this workout and it goes by sooooo fast! Whatcha think of the 15lb kettlebell? Think it'll get me anywhere? Thanks for all your hardwork and the inspiration
Dara

Tracy Reifkind said...

Dara,

Yikes! I've been so backed up on answering emails and posting return comments.

I'm going to try and resend you the Flip video.

And about the 15lb kettlebell...it's better than nothing, way better! Ultimately it's not the weight of the bell it's how you move your body. I can get a killer workout with the 8kg!