The Swing Workout #6

Yesterday I started out my morning with workout #6 from The Swing and let me tell you....it was awesome!  Just before I left for Croatia I had to make the decision to drop my Tuesday morning class so I've been training on my own, here in the garage gym for weeks now....and you know what workouts I'm doing?  Yep, all of The Swing workouts!  What I like about them is that I don't have to think! They are all written down, in order of progression and I've simply been following along :)  



Workout #6 is the beginning of learning, and learning how to train, the one hand swing.  Here is a Demo Workout that you can practice along with!  I call it a Demo "Workout" because it's 15 min long, whew!  Practice it as many times as you feel you need to before moving on to #6.




As I mentioned, I swing on my own Tuesday morning, on Thursdays I swing with Maribel, and Saturday mornings I swing with my 8:30 class.  I've been doing The Swing Workouts, as written exactly on Tuesdays, then on Thursday I repeat it using a heavier bell, and making slight adjustments just to add some variety, and then I repeat it one last time with my class on the weekend using a lighter bell because I have a doubles/heavy press, GS practice and squat workout on Sunday that I don't want to pre overtrain for.  And speaking of some of my other training....

After my awesome trip to Vancouver I came home and looked at my schedule to see if competing again in the near future was possible.  It appears that I have a couple of gaps in my travel schedule that will allow me to train for an early February and late April Kettlebell Sport comp, so that's what I'm going to do.  As tempted as I am to train for snatch only event I have some unfinished business with the 16kg biathlon!  



I've got about 4 weeks before Mark and I leave for Sweden, Denmark and Israel, just enough time to build back to 10 minute sets in both the 16kg snatch and jerk.  Not sure what kind of numbers I'll get, but it's the 10 min duration that is my first goal. When I return in December then I'll concentrate on increasing my numbers.  So during the next few months The Swing workouts will be invaluable to me by allowing me to get the bulk of my conditioning done and letting me concentrate on a different goal.  It's going to be good!

Thursday 10 x 10 and Vancouver Highlights

This week's 10 x 10 still includes some longer rest periods, but ladders up "equal work/rest" sets quickly before backing off slightly to end the workout.



Still working up to equal work / rest sets

10 (15/45)
10 x 2 (15/15 15/45)
10 x 4 (15/15 15/15 15/15 15/45)
10 x 3 (15/15 15/15 15/ done!)

6.5 min, 100 swings

If you are just getting used to the shorthand I use for writing down workouts you may not be familiar with what the numbers are that I refer to in parenthesis.  These are the "seconds of work and the seconds of rest".  So, 15/15 means 15 seconds of work it takes to do 10 reps, and 15 seconds of rest you take before the next set.  "15/45" means 10 reps takes 15 seconds of work, then you get 45 seconds to rest before the next set.  The first number is always how long the work interval is, the second set of numbers is always the rest you take after. Does this help anybody?  I hope so.  One of the things I love about my workouts is that I can always figure out how long a workout lasts based on these calculations!



I just got home from a fabulous weekend in Vancouver!  What a city, huh?  My dear friend Tricia Dong invited me to participate in a Kettlebell Sport Charity known as the "One Hour Long Cycle".  This event happens once a year and chooses a different charity to lift for, this year it was "Kettlebells for Autism".  If you would like more information about either one, please leave a comment here, or email me tracyrif@yahoo.com

I invited one of my students, Deepika, to come with me to also lift, but mostly to attend a technique workshop with me the next day.  We had a blast being challenged with the continuous hour of clean and jerks, but it was the workshop that Tricia organized that was the real draw for us. I haven't given up on competing, or teaching/coaching GS, Kettlebell Sport, and I'm always interested in learning as much as I can about kettlebell training in general.  Hanging out with other athletes and coaches in such a beautiful city like Vancouver was an amazing opportunity!  Here are some of the highlights;

Arriving Friday afternoon shopping was first on the list....and one of the first things I see downtown?  Yep, a gap toothed girl painting!  











I got up super early the next morning and took a one hour walk down Robson Street, passing what seemed like a dozen Starbuck coffee shops in and amongst the high rise office and apartment buildings, to find this beauty at the end....    Next time I'll spend more time walking along the park/water.

Back in time to shower and get ready for the One Hour LC., Deepika and Tom helping to unload and move competition bells.









Deepika used an 8kg and I used a 12kg.  We used caution mostly because we were conserving our hands as well as our energy for the workshop scheduled the next day.  Next year I think we will do the relay.  It will allow us to lift faster and heavier....anybody else want to be on our team?

Here I am with coaches Tom Corrigan and Misha Marchak.  

The workshop the next day simply ended too soon!  Deepika and I caught the last flight home Sunday, at 4:00, otherwise we would have stayed much longer!

Everybody after the workshop....I wish I would have taken the opportunity to meet everybody and learn their names.....you know sometimes I can be shy (it's true!)

Tricia was an amazing tour guide!  She drove us around all day after moving and unloading bells, organizing the entire event and then lifting on a relay team herself!

Vancouver is one of those city's that has gorgeous parks that promote living an active and healthy lifestyle!  

I also got to meet gym owner Sheila Hamilton (below) of It's Time Fitness Results (http://itstimefitnessresults.com/) who graciously donated her facility to the charity event and workshop.  

It's Time Fitness is truly one of the nicest studios I've ever been in, and seriously, if you live in, or are visiting, the North Vancouver area you MUST check it out.  Sheila and her staff are top notch, all SFG Certified and the most knowledgable and welcoming Instructors you will ever come across!  Highly recommended!

It was at It's Time that I met another fabulous lady, Yvonne, who got a little lecturing about weight loss from yours truly!  Yvonne recently lost 75lbs and completely changed her life, using kettlebell training to make incredible strength and health gains with Sheila as her trainer, but had the last nagging 35lbs still eluding her.....hopefully I gave her some gentle reminders to what could be the cause (overeating healthy foods maybe?  hint, hint!)

Good friends,, good times, and a well earned lunch!






French fries with cheese and gravy!  It HAD to be done!

And finally it had to be good bye.....or maybe just "see you later"?  Fingers crossed I'll see Vancouver again :) 

Easing back into routine again.

You know sometimes we "fall off the wagon"...not that I have or anything!  The important thing is that we get back on!  Be easy on ourselves...but not too easy!  



This is the simplest 10 sets of 10 reps, done with all two hand swings.  The rest period starts out generous with a 45 second break before moving onto the next set where the rest interval is decreased to only 30 seconds, followed by yet another rest decrease of 15 seconds (equal work/rest.)  It starts again with a long rest, shorter and then the shortest, three times repeated before ending the 10 x 10 with the last set done with a 15 sec break.  Here is the workout written out:

10 reps, 15 work, 45 sec rest (1 min)
10 reps, 15 sec work, 30 sec rest (45 sec)
10 reps, 15 sec work, 15 sec rest (30 sec)
repeat x 3 = 9 sets +
10 reps, 15/15

100 swing reps total 7 min (not including the last 15 sec rest interval)

Gosh, it's been so long since Mark and I traveled to Croatia and back I almost forgot we went!  But that's only because as soon as I got back I lead The Swing Quest in Monterey at Iron Republic and took my mom Nancy, who was visiting from Denver, and my sister Donna on a weekend road trip to Big Sur!  Busy busy.

Here are some highlights....oh, that's after you do the workout!

Having lunch at Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur.....it was about 100 degrees outside!  The fries weren't mine btw!  But truth be told I ate a ton of potatoes/fries during my trip to Croatia, as pictures above!

And now I'm off to Vancouver in the morning to participate in a charity one hour long Clean and Jerk for Kettlebells for Autism hosted by my good friend Tricia dong.  I'm going with one of my training partners, Deepika, to lift on Saturday and take a workshop in Sunday on Kettlebell Sport technique and practice.  I hope to come back with a ton of pictures, but it's almost 8:00pm and I'm not packed.  Yikes.  7:00am flight and I still can't decide what to wear!  High quality problems.