Posts Tagged ‘Joints’
Kettlebell Practice and Deload Training
This week I’m deloading so that means a lot of practice and fun training.
I always have fun training but it’s a nice mental break on a deload week when you can just walk in the door and decide what you feel like doing! During the course of a normal training cycle, I plan everything. I have specific goals in mind.
Deloading is a time to rest your joints. It’s also a time to practice those things that you tend to shy away from because you’re not quite sure how to integrate them into your training.
Over the last several months I’ve purchased my first kettlebells. I’ve been practicing the basics and like to think I’ve gotten them down pat for the most part. Unfortunately, I haven’t been exactly sure how to rotate them in to my normal training cycles.
So, to celebrate America’s Independence Day, I decided to do a little kettlebell practice. The first move I hit was a combo of the double kettlebell clean, front squat, and press. I combined that with pullups and hit five reps of each for as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes. The second movement I practiced was the double swing with a band pushups for the same 15 minute block.
Take a look. Feel free to offer an feedback on my form.
Warm Up the Bus!
Have you ever gone out to your car on a cold winter morning and started driving without letting the engine get warm? You’ve probably noticed it doesn’t perform very well.
The transmission takes a long time to change gears. The heat takes a while to get going, and the car probably sounds a little funny, making noises you’ve never heard before.
What happens when you do the opposite and let it idle in the driveway for a few minutes before you mash the gas? Probably the opposite of everything I mentioned above right?
The same goes for your training sessions. If you just walk into the gym put down your bag and start loading the bar, you’ve already failed for the day. Never skip your warmup.
I don’t care if you’re in a hurry, or just don’t feel like you need to. You’re wrong! You performance will undoubtedly suffer.
A thorough warm up is critical. It’s gives your body a chance to get its juices flowing. Your joints get lubed and your muscles are primed to set some PRs! I always take at least 10 minutes to warm up before I train. Sometimes I take a little longer depending on how I feel.
When I say warm up, I don’t mean hopping on the recumbent bike and pedaling to nowhere for a few minutes. I’m talking about a movement based, dynamic warm up. You have to put in some work before you can DO WORK!
If you’re not taking time to thoroughly warm up before you train, starting doing so now and your results will certainly improve.
What do you like to do for a warm up?
Drop me a comment and let me know.
Doin’ Work on Labor Day!…
…Well sort of!
After hitting it crazy hard the last three week, blasting away at my lower body 4-5 days per week in some form or another, it’s time for lets the joints rest.
After doing so much lower body work, I actually feel really good. However, I’ve learned over the years that you jsimply cannot pound away on your joints week after week and expect to progress. On my deload weeks, I prefer to keep the training short and sweet!
Deload and reload!
Below are last Friday’s and this week’s first recovery training session.
Get Strong(er) Wk 8 – Deload #1
I rocked a brutal DB complex. It was 6 rds, increasing the reps on each round from 5 all the to 10 on the last rounds. The last 3 sets were brutal my legs, lungs, and forearms were begging me to drop the weight but I refused.
Just because it’s a deload week doesn’t mean you can’t put a little work in!
1a – DB Deadlift
1b – Bent Over Row
1c – High Pull
1d – DB Front Squat
1e – DB Thruster
1f – RDL
Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Get Strong(er) Wk 7 – Day 4
1 – Deadlift 8×10,8,6,3,3,3,1,1
2a – DB Walking Lunges 3×20
2b – Abs 3×20
5rds for time
3a – SB Shoulder x6
3b – Burpee x10
3c – Sledgehammer Swings 3×10(l/r)
I crushed last week’s time by almost 45 seconds!
Don’t be a afraid of the deload!
I’m pretty busted up this morning.
Yesterday was then end to three hard weeks of training.
Next week will definitely be a deload week.
As I’ve talked about before, rest and recovery are just as important as your training. I’m actually feeling pretty good mentally and physically and don’t feel like I really need a deload week.
However, I have the long term, big picture in mind. I know that taking next week to deload will serve me much better, helping to reach my current training goals.
Many think that going full bore all the time with their training is the only way to reach goals and that anything less doesn’t do you any good. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If you go all out, all the time, you’ll burn yourself out and possibly regress.
My deload training won’t be “easy” but it will allow my joints to rest and be prepared for the next hard cycle.
Don’t be afraid of the deload!
Get Strong(er) Wk 3 – Day 4
1 – Deadlift 5×3
2 – Zercher Squat 5×5
Conditioning
4 sets of 8rds (20/10 – work/rest) alternating burpees and sledge hammer swings.
3 Must Have Conditioning Tools
It’s no surprise to those of you regular readers that I LOVE a good conditioning session. Conditioning is invaluable. Being able to last is a huge plus in my world. Whether you play in a competitive sports league, crossfit, or just love the iron like I do, conditioning is essential to your continued progress and success in those endeavors. Below are the 3 conditioning tools you must have in your arsenal.
1. The Hill
Hill sprints are my favorite form of conditioning. Nothing will get your fat burning furnace stoked higher than regular hill sprints. Running uphill is much more efficient for your joints, safer than regular wind sprints for the novice trainee, and will jack up your heart rate like no other. I have an awesome hill right in front of my house. I’ve talked about it before here but I love standing at the bottom and seeing how many sprints (~50yds) I can complete in 20 minutes.
2. Bodyweight
Your body may be the ultimate tool. Don’t neglect using it. Push it, pull it, run, and jump. You can make up a whole circuit with just bodyweight movements. Set the timer and see how many rounds you can bust out! Below is one of my favorite bodyweight conditioning circuits. A couple of the moves here are bodyweight only but you’ll get the point.
3. The Sledge Hammer
You can get these at any hardware store for next to nothing. It might be the simplest tool to use. Just grab it and start whaling away on an old tire. Sledge swings are great finisher to a training session. If you’re a beginner, set the timer for 10 minutes and do 10 swings, alternating between left and right on the minute until time expires. If you’re more advanced, start cutting your rest time and see how many rounds you can complete in 10 minutes. I prefer to use the sledge hammer as a part of some kind of conditioning circuit. Below is a conditioning session I captured doing just that.
I could’ve easily made this a top 10 list but who has the time to read all that. Like my training I wanted to keep it short and sweet for you.
Let’s keep this list going though. Drop a comment and turn this post into a top 10 list.
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