Namaste

This past month I started attending a 5:30am yoga class looking for some kind of relief to the difficulty, I've had of late, for my lack of motivation in my Bikram's yoga practice.  I was hoping if I didn't think about it much and just got my ass out the door and then I'd be finished by 7:00a,!  It has seemed to worked in some part, but I've really missed my mornings at home when I find my creativity to write and cook at the highest point of my day.

One thing at a time I guess.

I think more important than feeling better about my actual physical practice, during a conversation I had with friend/yoga studio owner Mike Mayle, I heard myself say something that even surprised me!  I was sharing  my feelings about my practice and why I couldn't bring myself to just quit and look to replace it with something else, maybe another style of yoga, maybe even something else....not that I haven't already tried.  There are two main reasons why I keep coming back.

#1 I'm good at my practice.  I haven't felt like it recently, and maybe that's part of what's been causing some of the resistance. I don't train it as much as I used to, or I should say that I don't obsess about it as much as I used to! Since I'm not practicing as often I don't see much if any improvement, in fact I see the opposite....and I don't like getting worse at something, I like getting better at it!  But I'm also aware of what could be at cause, or at least what is contributing to this feeling,

#2...and this is the important one....  Nothing else in a long time, besides training kettlebells, has made me feel like I want to train.  I remember feeling like I couldn't wait to come back for the next class!  I can see the progressions, I can work them, and I can make improvements that I will be able to see and feel.  I can "train" this...and I wanted to!  And kettlebell training compliments and supports this practice, for me.


This is the appeal that I think a lot of people that practice Bikram's also feel, I see it all the time, every time I'm in the yoga Studio.  There is an intensity that I like and it draws me to it, and has for 6 years....in fact 6 years almost to the day!  (I did my first practice ever Thanksgiving weekend 2006!).  I also see this time and time again when I teach kettlebells.  The same kind of excitement that comes from learning something that is relatively easy, but hard at the same time!  The excitement that comes with feeling competent, finally (!), successful, and hopeful therefore bringing about a certain excitement about the confidence that when someone sees and feels the possibilities.  With consistent training improvements that you can see and feel happen quickly!

I could list some of my negative things about my practice, but as I always say, a lot of thoughts are feelings and not facts. If I "feel" a certain negative way, it's my choice and I can choose to look at it, and feel a different way about it if I want to.

Namaste

"Fave Five" Options!

Well, I did indeed change my "No Brainer Fave Five" last week.  Here is the change;


25 2 hand swings "OTM", instead of sets of 5 reps every 15 sec.
1 sw, 1 goblet sq x 5 reps (30/30)

repeat this "double set" 4-5 times before either moving up in weight, OR do as many "double sets"with a single weight as time or energy allows.  If you are into counting reps remember that every double set equals takes 2 minutes to complete and has 30 2 hd swing reps, and 5 goblet squat reps.  On Tuesday I did 5 double sets per rotation equalling 150 swing reps + 25 goblet squat reps x 2 rotations for a 20 minute workout (10 dble sets total).  I'm still not tired of the original "Fave Five", but this was a welcome (and easier!) break!

Basically I decided to do a set of 25 swing reps because at the top of "Fave Five" ladder was 5 sets of 5 reps (=25), but I did them with slightly less rest than equal work to rest.  I started each set of 25 on the minute which translates into about 37 sec work, 23 sec rest (1.25 part work to 1 part rest...apprx)  25 swing reps still allows you to swing a relatively heavy bell.  Even with a little less rest one set of 25 is not the same as 5 sets of 5 for sure! One set requires picking up and putting the bell down only once instead of 5 x!  That's the equivalent of 4 less power swings!

This morning I changed it up a bit, repeating each double set 4 times before changing bells or changing the goblet squat to a double cl/press.  My exact workout I will post tomorrow, or another time, but for now here are your options if you want to combine a goblet squat and clean press workout into one.

video above demonstrates 4 versions of double sets (starting at the 2nd rep of the first set of 25 swings)

25 2 swing reps (started on the minute)
5 sw/gblt sq
25 2 hd sw
1 cl/press R x 5 (long cycle)
25 2 hd sw
1 cl/press L x 5
25 2 hd sw
1 dble cl/pr x 5 reps

And then the video goes on and I demonstrate what I did this last week, which is typed in red above.

I find that a swing "catch" squat takes the same amount of time as a swing, clean, press, that's why those movements can be interchangeable in either version of "Fave Five".  Good to know if you need to practice both type of lifts within the same workout.

Giving Thanks

For the very first year since I learned how to cook a proper Thanksgiving dinner, I've decided to change things up a bit!

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed Potato
Yam, Butternut and Choizo "Croquette's" with jalapeno and cilantro
Green Salad with Persimmon, dressed with Cranberry Vinegrette

Man, did it just get all fancy smancy at the end?  I really didn't mean for it to!  The truth is that I've been wanting to make these sweet potato/chorizo patties, that I made last year, again, and I thought this would be a great meal to incorporate them into.  No bread stuffing this year, and it has nothing to do with the fact that it's "bread".  No baked yams with brown sugar and butter.  No green beans with bacon, because no one really likes them!

Yesterday I made some components of today's meal including roasting the turkey!  I've been roasting my turkey (s) the day before for years and years now, so technically I serve "leftovers"!  Food and dishes easily pile up because I have a tiny kitchen and getting a large meal orchestrated with a house full of guests, especially in the last moments before serving, gets crazy.

The biggest decision I have to make this morning is should I try and get a yoga practice in after my own training and 8:15am class at the studio?  Really a bigger question is should I try and do some last minute shopping at Whole Foods around 12 noon?  LOL!

The reason why I want to go to WF is that I actually, finally, need a bit of sugar, and a bit of flour, and they sell those ingredients in the bulk section so I can only buy what I need!  (sugar for the cranberries and flour for the gravy)  Otherwise I could just walk across the street and shop at Safeway if I wanted to buy a whole pound of sugar and 5lbs of flour.....geez, life's decisions are rough! I've got some high quality problems for sure!

I'm only cooking for two guests, my youngest son and his fiance Lilly, Mark has to train at 1:00pm....it's going to be totally casual....I think I answered my own question.  Yoga, Safeway?  What would you do?

Have a great day, but most important if you celebrate anything, celebrate the opportunity to give thanks for any or all parts of your lucky life.  I love my life...my lucky life!

(Oh, and Lilly is making the pie!  Thank you Lilly!)

Cream of Wheat....Breakfast of Champions?

The night before last I had a nice hot bowl of Cream of Wheat I made with homemade chicken stock.  Nothing else.  I thought about putting some parmesan reggiano cheese on top...I thought about some cream, and then at least some milk, but no, it was really tasty just the way it was.

There was a time I would have thought that Cream of Wheat was an inferior product, kind of like the "junk food" version of Old Fashioned Oats.  But now, these days, simple oatmeal gets a bad rap because it's a "carb"....oh and a "white" carb at that, lol!  It may feel difficult, at times, to not jump on the various diet and nutrition bandwagons that come and go, looking for the answer to life long health, which includes weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

I've felt myself wanting to believe that it was certain foods that I was victim to, instead of recognizing that it wasn't food that was the enemy, it was me.  I was the one consuming too much of it...I've never experienced food leaping from the table, forcing my jaw open and shoving itself down my throat.  Why was I choosing to over consume food?  Well, I don't really care "why" I did, (although I pretty much know why) I only care that I don't now.....or I should say, I do less and less all the time, and I can imagine the day when I never do....and that day could be today!  I feel so lucky to think this way.

I've had days in the past that I was afraid to add too much carrot to my salad because of the natural sugar in carrots is too high....same with mango.  I've had years when I did not eat corn because it's a grain....carb...same with black beans (all beans).  I've measured out 1 1/2 tbl of PNB instead of 2 full tbl in fear of those extra 50 calories, or only "allowed" myself 1/2 can of tuna (90 cal) instead of a whole can (180 cal).  It's been a solid two years since I've had pasta (and I make great pasta!), three or more years since I've had risotto or polenta....and if you know how to use a pressure cooker, those dishes take 5-10 minutes to make and they rock!  The funny thing about this mindset is that it's not 50 calories worth of peanut butter, or a bowl of risotto making anybody fat!  It's the candy dish on your coworkers desk, it's the bag of cookies you tear open while grocery shopping or friend's birthday dinner at the Cheesecake Factory!

This past year I've relaxed a great deal about corn, beans, cheese, wine, carrots, winter squash, to name a few, and oh my God, I think I'm going to make pasta this week! I happen to know a number of people that have never worried about their bodyweight or their health as it relates to bodyweight. I take notice to their relationship with food...and it's not a big deal!  We make things so much more difficult than they need to be, and then we try and defend ourselves for failing because of this fabricated difficulty.

I know there are many books written with many theories about why we are fat and overweight, but without fail, without fail, 100% of the time, for me, when I want to drop some bodyweight I cut back on portions/calories, which may include a rebalance of certain nutrients I eat, and I lose weight.  Maybe I'm the only one?

A nice big hot bowl of Cream of Wheat is not going to make me fat and/or unhealthy....it's just not.

PS "Back in the day Cream of Wheat was a bodybuilding staple and part of their formula for getting lean.....remember rice cakes? Oatmeal, brown rice, yams, baked potato  The original "slow carb" diet was invented by the sport of bodybuilding!  6 meals a day, each meal 1/2 protein, 1/2 complex carbs.  Only later did the glycemic index come into play,  The only counter was low/no fat. You can get plenty lean, very lean, eating carbs...if your calories are low enough!"--as quoted my Mark Reifkind.  Coach, training partner, friend and business partner for 9 years in World Gym Campbell, to Mr America Scott Wilson (pictured above), and 5 time Ms Olympia finalist Sue Ann McKean.(pictured below)

PPS My son Gabe purchased the Cream of Wheat that has been in the pantry for a few months now.  Although I would not buy this product in favor of some other type of hot cereal product I don't have anything against it when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

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.

"Fave Five" My absolute favorite "No Brainer" Swing Squat workout!

I have so many favorite workouts, really I do, BUT I can't remember the last time I did the same workout every week for five weeks in a row!  It's the only way I've been able to bring myself to practice my squats every week!  (I'm being dramatic! But seriously, it's helped!)



 This workout only has 5 swing reps at a time, and a set of 1 swing/1 goblet squat x 5 reps.  The 5 swings start on the "15 sec" interval, and the sw/sq set takes 30 seconds to complete with a 30 sec rest period afterwards. It's a simple 1-5 ladder.

"Fave Five"

5 sw x 1 set (15 sec to work and rest per set of 5 reps)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)


5 sw x 2 sets (30 sec)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 3 sets (45 sec)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 4 sets (1 min)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

5 sw x 1 set (1 min 15)
1 sw/1sq x 5 reps (30/30)

8.75 min per rotation, but here's the real beauty....100 swings, 25 goblet squats!  I love when that happens!

So basically it's easy to add up swing and squat reps at the end of a workout.  On average I've been completing 3 rotations for a 28 minute workout...pretty decent!  And because you are only swinging 5 reps you can use a bell appropriately heavy for squats.

The first time I did Fave Five I used three bells progressively heavier (12kg, 16kg, 20kg).  Yesterday I was more tired than I thought so I managed only two rotations, one with the 14kg and this one I've posted with the 16kg.  A couple of weeks ago I used double 12kg's and that was by far the most difficult.  Squatting with double bells seems more difficult than with a single bell for some reason?

Another reason why I love this workout so much is that goblet squats work my biceps like no other "hold", and who doesn't like a little bicep pump at the end of the day?  lol

PS I've attempted to video tape it before but the Studio I work at has been too busy for me to find a private space and set up camera.  

Experimenting with 40 rep sets....

A couple things.....

As "hard" as it was to pull back on my training the week before, in anticipation for, the 3 hour DVD video shoot this past weekend, it was equally "hard" to let myself properly recover!  I did in fact video tape quite a bit of training this morning, but after reviewing the footage it was obvious to me how tired I was.  I apologize, but I did manage to salvage a bit of video I'm not completely embarrassed about, lol!

I haven't posted workouts in a few weeks as I was practicing, practicing and practicing the routines for two DVD's that will be available for the Holiday season. I do plan on posting "companion" workouts to the DVD's and let's start here.  The next new DVD to be released is titled "Top 40".  The idea behind the progressive training is to work up to swinging sets of 40 reps.  You may or may not be at that point already, but here is a short "experiment" to keep you busy along the way.

Surprising to me I had no idea how this "experiment" would turn out until I did it!  I was reminded real quick why and how I program my progressions!  If you are not at the point of swinging 40 consecutive reps this may be the first time you do it, OR, if you are, please share with me what combinations you find more "difficult" (ie, fun!).

On your own do a fairly quick warm up of maybe:

2 sets of 10 2 hd swings
1 set of 20 2 hand swing

Here is what you will find demonstrated in the video:

10/10 one hand swings x 1 set (30 sec/30 sec)
5/5 x 2 one hand swings (30/30)
20 2 hd swings (30/30)

20 2 hand swings + 10/10 on hand swings (1 min/1 min)
10/10 on hand swings + 5/5 x 2 one hand swings ( 1 min/1 min)
5/5 x 2 one hand swings + 20 2 hand swings (1 min/1 min)

9 minutes, 180 swings

Repeat or not!  Or repeat the set you enjoyed the least!  lol  Enjoy!

PS...."Hard" is a feeling, not a fact! -Tracy Reifkind ( I love this phrase and you will hear it/read it often!)