Saturday swings....24kg...one hand

After weeks and weeks of practicing for the DVD videos, mostly short sets w/12kg because of the volume, it was time to get back to longer sets, and heavier (if I plan on testing the 20kg snatch test again anytime soon!)  I was reminded of my Roundabout!  1-2 minute long swing sets (40-80 reps) laddering up heavier and heavier bells. The goal this morning?  To swing the 24kg with one hand....enter the Roundabout!


Roundabout 1-5 ladder (all 1 full minute rest period)

rndbt x 1 swings = 1 min (40 sw)
rndbt x 2 swings = 1.25 min (50 sw)
rndbt x 3 sw = 1.5 min (60 sw)
rndbt x 4 sw = 1.75 min (70 sw)
rndbt x 5 sw = 2 min (80 sw)

#1 rotation w/12kg
#2 rotation w/16kg
#3 rotation w/20kg (video demonstrates the last set with this weight.  the rndbt 5 swing ladder)

37.5 min, 900 swings  What?  Really?  Good God.

Oh, I thought about using the intermediate weights, the 14 and 18kg, instead of the 16 and 20kg....but I thought "what the hell".  If I can swing the 14kg, then I can swing the 16kg.  If I can swing the 18kg, then I can swing the 20 kg!  right?  If not, what was I doing this kind of training at all?  Knowing I really wanted to end up with the 24kg I had to make those big jumps.

It's not until this very moment of calculating my swing reps that I realize I did 900 swing reps before ever touching the 24kg!



5 sets of 1 minute long Roundabouts w/24kg (video demonstrates my very last set.)

set #1. My right hand was sweaty and I worried about the bell slipping out of my grip before the last reps.
set #2.  I chalked up pretty heavily, problem solved.
set #3.  I realized that swinging the 24kg for an entire minute (40 reps) was more difficult than swinging it with one hand...I wonder if I would have done 5/5 if it would have been easier?
set #4.  I knew I had a goal set number of 5....I kept repeating in my head "I can do it, I can do it." and in fact if I was indeed going to do it I better get my head out of my ass and finish strong.  "Keep calm and keep swinging strong" were my next thoughts.
set #5.  Knowing I was video taping this, therefore potentially sharing it, it had to be my strongest and best set!  I focused on making every rep solid.

10 min., 200 swing reps

Reviewing the video tape it appears as if I'm swinging faster (doesn't it?), but I was swinging my normal pace of 40 reps per minute!  That heavy bell fell fast!  And I could only get the bell up so high, again because of the the heavy load!  I also have to note that when I first looked at my 2 minute set using the 20kg I thought it was the 16kg!  I was quite proud that I moved the 20kg bell with such power and speed.

All in all I have to say that swinging the 24kg for 40 rep sets was more challenging that the strength and stability of swinging that size bell one handed for say 5/5...10/10 would have been really challenging for me.

It's good to be back posting workouts, and I hope to get some diet and food posts up again quickly. Lots of stuff (thoughts) going on, but the motivation to sort them all out and write has been lacking.  Thank God I have my training....that's the easy part!

Oh but the best part of my day?  I taught my 9:30am Beginning Swing class the Roundabout!  It was a ton of fun and they did AWESOME!  I can't wait to teach them more variations of this combination of swings!

PS I finished my 90  minute workout with a "Beyond Max" snatch workout w/12kg.  I think we did 470 snatches, details in a different post.