» Brian’s Training Journal

Update on Geoff Nuepert’s Program

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:04:06 +0000

I just finished the full second week of “Kettlebell Muscle”. It’ s a program that puts double kettlebell work 3xweek. It’s hard, but I’m ready to move up on weight. I feel like I’m getting stronger already (I know it’s just mental – in that I’m getting used to the movements and amount of energy required).

I will move to double 24kg’s for all workouts with double 28kg’s for many of the circuits.

Today I am going to lift on the platform. Sunday I will just do 100 snatches and getups to keep things moving.

New Kettlebell Program

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:19:53 +0000

I just got in Geoff Nuepert’s MRKC new book “Kettlebell Muscle”. It’s really pretty good. It phrased some things that I liked. I am not going to write a review of it on here, but will later. Right now, I’m simply reporting that I am going to stick with the program to see how it feels. I am going to have to fit in some platform stuff though – so I will add that. (He talks about not adding anything – but the skill work must be done).

I did a medium day which was 4 sets of 5 reps of the following chain (2 min rest between sets).

Dble highpull, dble snatch, dble press, dble squat. I started off with 2 20kg bells. It was not bad through sets 1 and 2, started to increase diffuculty in set 3 and by set 4 it was very hard. I can tell that moving to 2 53lb bells will not be as easy as I usually work with.

Today I will be on the platform, but will do 5×5 of double 32kg clean and jerk afterwards.

6/3 – double kettlebell sets

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:07:34 +0000

With things being so busy, and some lofty goals for strength this summer, I am doing a great deal of research on the less is more principle. Push hard for 20 good minutes 3xweek, and control nutrition really well and see results like never before! I am testing it out. I take a little longer with my dynamic warmups now – 20 mins or so. I do what feels good that day. Then I hit kettlebells, and some other things in short burst intense circuits. I still plan to hit the platform 1xweek on the weekend.

Tuesday 6/1 20 reps on everything with slight change

8reps wide pullups

8reps press 28kg bell

8 reps 1 leg RDL

8 reps narrow pullups

8 reps each arm seesaw press

8 reps dbl (2 28kg bells) 1 leg RDL

4 reps weighted pull up with 28kg bell

4 dbl clean and press with 28kg bells

4 1 leg RDL w 60kilos on barbell

Today – 6/3

5 sets dbl clean and press w 28kg bells – 3 reps, dbl front squats – 3reps, dbl snatches w 20kg bells – 5reps, renegade rows w 20kg bells for 10 reps

Catch up to my workout posts

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:56:42 +0000

Last week was very busy. We grew by 5 new clients. It felt good to have some time for me this weekend to after such a great week. Because of the busy week, I did not get in many workout sessions for myself. Wednesday of last week I did 8 sets of front squats with light weight for 5 reps. Then I did 4×5 of clean and press with the 32kg kb. The following day, I just did 50 clean and press each hand, 30 overhead lunges, and 20 snatches all per side with the 32kg bell.

I took friday off, and then hit the platform hard on Saturday. I worked just on clean and jerk and worked up to 110 kilos. I then did a few sets of heavy front squats up to 125kilos – a new PR! I finished with some fun stuff – 4 sets of bench press and db curls for the pool! haha.

I worked in the yard all day sunday and monday – but did hit the gym on sunday for hanging abs and pullups.

Today I am ready for another good kb day!

Sunday’s workout 5/23 and today 5/25

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:18:25 +0000

Sunday I spent all day on the platform. I had a kettlebell workshop on Saturday, and it prevented me from my usual time with the lifting group in Frederick MD. I did get in some good lifts though finishing with about 30 attempts on snatches and 18 on clean and jerk. My best on the day hit about 90% of PR’s.

Today was a joint mobility day. I even tried indian clubs for the first time – felt great at opening the shoulders – more later!

Play time in the gym

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:59:56 +0000

Today was a great day back in the gym. Really took my time.

Warmups with getups and windmills and lots of joint mobility

I then worked up to 60kg push jerks supersetted with front squats and single leg RDL’s

I kept the weight the same on the PJ and RDL’s and laddered up the reps, the front squats I did 3×5 and increased weight each set.

I then moved to hang power cleans, snatches, more windmills, and cable bicep curls for fun. I did a variety of things with these, but finished with 100 snatched w/ the 20kg bell and 15 windmills each side.

First lift after weightlifting meet

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:05:41 +0000

I did ok at the meet on Saturday. I tied my previous PR’s. Not bad for not having concentrated on weightlifting this year due to the studio opening.

Today I am swamped with work, but am going to rework things to make sure that 2-3xweek I hit things HARD.

Today I worked back into things. I took my time doing some warmups with windmills, hip flexor stretches, and swings.

I then worked up to IGB (in between grip – wide clean grip or narrow snatch grip) pulls. I laddered down from 5,4,3 up to 110kilos.

I superseted that with a total of 50 swings – 20 2 hands, and 15 each hand all with the 28kg bell

I finished with 3×5 on clean and jerk with double 28kg bells.

One set of seesaw presses with those bells was just fun for a total of 20 – 10 each arm.

Tuesday – 3 days till weightlifting meet

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:21:25 +0000

Today I wanted to simply feel strong. It was a focus on joint mobility and tension. After 20 mins of foam rolling, yoga, plank work, hip flexor stretch and work I got into a few warm up sets on front squat with the barbell and clean and press with the kettlebell. My work sets were just 10 reps.

5 reps at 90kg for front squat superset with 5 reps at 28kg on the clean and press with the kettlebell

3 reps at 100kg and then 32kg

2 reps at 110kg and then 40kg

What I like about the 10 rep workout

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:17:50 +0000

The world record weightlifting record holder, Hossein Rezazadeh, only lifts a good 10 reps!

I like the idea that volume on the day is not the goal, but rather volume on the week. Choosing to do a very few movements – but doing them really well – yields better results than the 100 exercises available for that given goal.

I tend to get overwhelmed in the gym. My goals are sparatic, and because of that – my results suffer. My goals – get STRONG – press the 40kg KB for 5 reps, clean and jerk 125kg and snatch 100kg. Front squat 125kg for triples. Deadlift 405lbs. I want to do this while staying cardiovascularly fit and lean and weigh under 190lbs.

I feel good. Wed 5/5 I boxed with a client – this was just good fun – will submit the video on youtube later

Deadlift 1×5, 2×2 (9 reps) 315lbs

Drop cleans w 165lbs 3×5

2×25 curl to press with DB in kneeling postion for core activation

125snatches w 16kg bell in 5 mins for conditioning

It was a good quick workout. Today I am taking it easy with some foam rolling because I am still tired from the early week. Tomorrow I will hit some KB swings, snatches, and presses and then Saturday I have a big day on the platform. I will be gearing down volume next week as I prepare for my first weightlifting meet in 2010 next weekend.

Training catchup

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:57:31 +0000

I took Saturday off because I was at a workshop presenting on kettlebell training. Sunday I hit it hard with front squat lunges, TRX lunges with heavy weight, DB rows, and TRX pushups.

My glutes and adductors felt it all day yesterday, so I just did a ladder of Turkish Getups with 24kg bell to stay loose through lots of planes. I did a few windmills as well.

Today – Tuesday – 5/4

1 hand clean and press 28kg bell for 5R,5L

2 hand C&P w 28kg for 5

10 swings w 28kg

3 goblet squats for stretch w 28kg

Repeat for a total of 2 rounds

SeeSaw presses for 10 total w 28kg

5R, 5L rack squats w 28kg

Repeat for 2 rounds

2 single double 28kg snatch – that’s not easy

foam roll and feeling good for a 20 min workout