Wednesday Workout

55 squats with 24kg

My hip popped during the first one, but there wasn't any pain, so I finished up. I'm still not going quite as deep, but I am ok with that. Also, the 24kg is starting to feel easy, so I may try the next bell next week and see how I do.

9 cleans, 9 presses

I used two 10kg bell for this. I am looking forward to moving on the the 12kg bells, the 10s are getting boring. And easy.

9 more squats, 9 swings

I switched bells and used the 24kg for this. It's harder to swing lighter and awkward with two bells versus just one.

1 snatch plus 1 overhead squat. Three sets of three, total of nine.

Two 10kg bells. I should move up to the 12kg, since that is what I am snatching on Mondays, but I am a little nervous about snatching two 12s. I guess I should quit thinking about it and just do it!

TGU, windmill, snatch. Total of 3 TGUs, 6 windmills, 6 snatches.

I have been using a 12kg for this. It's a little challenging, but I am managing. As long as people refrain from making me laugh while I have a 26lb cannonball dangling over my head, I'm good!

I also did 6 push-ups this morning in karate and will do another 18 at tonight's class.

I got some good tips today that will help me with my strength training. I'm happy about that. I want to step up my cardio though, my friend is still out with her ankle. I need to figure up a plan. 

Burning off a long weekend

The stomach flu has hit our house. Shaun is the lucky first victim. So far, no one else has caught it. Fingers crossed!

This morning's classes were a welcome respite from Germ Fest 2013. I combined Sunday's and Monday workouts and felt good.

100 snatched in 10 minutes with 12kg
10 push presses with two 14kg bells
10 double jerks with two 14kg bells
Total of 32 presses with two 10kg bells
Total of 20 squats with two 10kg bells
Total of 20 swings with two 10kg bells

Karate was fun, as usual. I am working towards my blue belt and learning the kata I will need for my green belt. We tend to work ahead, I'm good with that! The kids have a test this Saturday, several of them will be testing for their next belt, most will just get stripes. Three stripes are required to test for a belt. My kids will be earning their second stripe on their orange belt. I am so proud of them!

Strength

A year ago, I could barely do a single push-up. Oh sure, I could do a few girl-style, but those are for girls! A few months ago, my karate teacher decided that push-ups will be required for stripe and belt tests. Only 5 for white and yellow belts, 10 for orange and blue belts, 15 for green belts and above. It makes sense, after all, a punch is basically a push-up position and to hit hard, you need upper body strength. But my first thought was "oh crap"!

So I forced myself to do push-ups with the kids during warm-ups. Stretch, 5 push-ups, repeat. We end up doing 15 total, including the white belts! After a couple months of doing this twice a week and maybe a third day a handful of times, it's getting easier! In fact, the other day, I did the whole 15 push-ups in a row! And then did a second set of 15!

Now, after my own little blunder, the kids now do three sets of 6 push-ups. Last night I was asked when we could go back to 5. Um, we're not. Push-ups make you strong, I am proof of that!

So here is another goal for the end of 2013, I want to do 50 push-ups in a single set. I don't think that is unreasonable. And anyone who knows me, knows that I am stubborn and determined!

Improvising

Today was 55 squats day. Apparently, my hip is not better. I tried my normal squat with a single 24kg bell and it hurt. I had a sharp, pinching feeling in my hip and felt like my leg would give out every time I stood up. I quit after only 3 squats. I stretched, tried 1 more and failed. I was seriously bummed, but after my instructor hurt herself by pushing beyond her limit, I knew I needed to back off.

I moved on to Complex 1 with two 10kg bells, 3 sets of 3 cleans, 3 presses, 3 squats, and 3 swings. During the first set, I found the squats were easy. Granted, it was about 8lbs lighter, but it wasn't painful at all. I had pointed my toes out slightly and not gone quite as deep, but I think that by holding two bells instead of one distributed the weight differently and made it easier. Whatever works!

So I grabbed two 12kg bells (equal to one 24kg) and tried squatting again. And I was fine! My instructor stopped me for a lecture, but I told her I was good and promised to stop if I felt any pain or weakness. I finished my 55!

After that, I finished Complex 1 and moved on to Complex 2. Double snatch, overhead squat (these were actually easier, surprisingly), repeat 2 more times for a single set with a total of 3 sets. I finished out with Complex 3: three TGUs with some snatches and windmills thrown in there.

My morning karate class went well. I did 15 push-ups in a row as part of my warm-up. Can you tell I am proud of that? We did some katas and practiced kicks. Evening class, I warmed the class up (another 18 push-ups!) and worked on the first basic kata with the low ranking students. Higher ranks worked on their katas with the instructor. Then we spent the last 30 minutes sparring. That was a blast! I was absolutely dripping with sweat afterwards, but I loved every second of it!

So that was my day, how was yours?

Sunday + Monday

I didn't make it to class yesterday. My dad called, wanting Shaun to hook up his new stereo under the guise of inviting us for dinner. Insert eye roll. But we actually enjoy spending time with my dad (as long as he is in a decent mood, lol), so we headed down to his house and had a nice time.

So this morning, I combined today's and yesterday's workouts. Not unusual for me, but I am moving away from that as I increase weight, it can be hard! So here is what I did today:

100 snatches in 10 minutes with the 12kg, I am really concentrating on my form, especially since I increased the weight today.

1x4 ladder of double presses, squats with 1 press at the top, and 5 swings, with two 10kg bells.

10 double jerks, two 14kg bells

10 push presses, two 14kg bells

30 pullovers, 18lbs

A ladder can be confusing, the 1 is how many sets, the 4 is where you start the reps. Today, I did 4 presses, 4 squats + 1 press, and 5 swings, rest, 3 presses, 3 squats + 1 press, 5 swings, rest, 2 presses, 2 squats + 1 press, 5 swings, rest, and finally 1 press, 1 squat + 1 press, 5 swings. All of that is 1 set. Next week, I will do a 2x4 ladder, so I will do 2 sets.

My friend told me today that she can't believe how far I have come with kettlebells. I don't really see it. But I can see a couple things. When I first learned to press, I could barely get the 12kg bell up on my right and not at all with my left. During rest week, I got a PR pressing with the 16kg bells. I can swing 32kg, roughly 71lbs. That is no easy feat! And since I have only been doing it since August, that is pretty good. I just wish my body with catch up a little faster!

A Little Late on Thursday....

I met up with my friend Thursday morning to lift. I love it, we just chat and laugh and lift. Although, I did have her promise not to make my laugh while I am actually lifting! Not a good combination!

We did 30 pullovers (18lb), 15 push presses (2 14kg bells), 15 double jerks (2 14kg bells), and a 10 minute swing test. I did 100 swings with the 32kg in that 10 minutes. Last time I did that, it wasn't timed. I admit, it was a little tougher and my hip hurt that final minute, but I did it! I also managed to get my 15 push-ups too, regular style, not girly!

Speaking of push-ups....I run the kids karate class through their warm-ups: we stretch a bit, 5 push-ups, repeat a couple more times. The kids end up doing 15 push-ups total. So last Wednesday, we were doing the first set of 5 and I wasn't really paying much attention and we did 6. The kids (of course) called me out on it, so to save face, I informed them that we had been doing 3 sets of 5 for quite a while and we were moving on to 3 sets of 6! So we did 18 push-ups instead of 15 that night! I just hope I can remember to do that from now on!!!

Wednesday Workout

55 squats with 24kg (that's about 53lbs)

3x3 (no ladder) of double cleans, double presses, squats, and swings. I used 2 10kg bells for this. I usually switch and go with something heavier for swings and squats, but my hip is still a little sore.

3x3 (no ladder) of double snatch plus overhead squat, also with 2 10kg bells.

And 3 TGUs with some snatches and windmills thrown in there with a 10kg bell.

Then an hour of karate and tonight another hour of karate with the kids.

I look forward to next week when I start snatching the 12kg bell. And in about 6 weeks, I start pressing the 12kg.

My hip is actually a lot better than it was. Still pretty sore though. I may go back to the chiropractor one more time, just to be safe. And I won't let these things go anymore!

Weight Loss

I did gain a couple pounds, not during the holidays, but after. It may be muscle gain, but I'm not sure. So I am back to being extra careful with what I eat (and snack on) during the day. And I have already lost those couple pounds. A little less than 20 to go to reach weight goal number 1.

Smoothies are my new best friend. My typical breakfast consists of a banana, some frozen fruit, plain greek yogurt, 2 tbsp of PB2, and 1 tbsp of ground flax seed all thrown in a blender and blended. I may add some almond milk if it's too think.

Lunch sometimes is another smoothie with half an avocado instead of a banana and also a handful of spinach. That may sound nasty, but even Shaun loves them and he hates avocados. On other days, I may have sushi or Shaun and I might go out to lunch. Or just plain leftovers from the night before.

I plan dinners a week or two in advance. Last night was pasta with italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and broccoli. Throw in some sauteed onions and garlic and white wine, and we have ourselves a meal that everyone likes! I always try to have veggies and protein, but some nights it doesn't happen. And I am ok with that. My biggest difficulty is finding meals that at least 4 out of 5 of us like!

Snatch Test Part 2

I got another 200 snatches in 10 minutes! Next week I will start snatching with the 12kg! I need to adjust my form slightly and stand up straighter at the top of the snatch. I'm either tired or it could be my right hip is very very out. I also managed to do 10 push presses and 10 double jerks today.

Yesterday, I did in fact make it to kettlebells and did a 3x3 ladder of double presses, swings, and squats. I may have possibly attempted a couple pull-ups, but that's not a pretty sight, so I'm not mentioning it. I want to do 1 unassisted pull-up by the end of 2013 though.

Karate was easy today, except for my darn hip. Absolutely NO kicks today! We practiced kata and talked about form and how to practice. Looking forward to tonight's class with the kids!

My hip. It's been out for a couple months. I keep putting off going to the chiropractor because it was very slight and would come and go. Last week, it got bad. Fast. I could hardly walk or get out of bed. I have been stretching like crazy, which has helped, but it still hurts. I finally called and made myself an appointment for this afternoon. I can't wait!

Making rounds

Whatever this bug is, it is making its rounds slowly.

Shaun has been sick for 5-6 weeks now, he is on an antibiotic.

My ears and head still hurt. I went ahead and started an antibiotic in hope that it goes away sooner than Shaun's!

Jack is just getting started. Poor kid is full of snot and constantly sneezing.

Who's next? Emily or Caitlin?

I am going to try to head to the Y later today and get hard press day out of the way. With finishing the snatch test tomorrow, there is no way I can combine the two days into one workout.

Make-up

Since I didn't get to do complex 3 yesterday (tgu with a couple windmills and snatches thrown in there), I made it up today. Completed 3 sets with a 10kg bell. Then I went on to do 100 swings with a 32kg bell (slightly over 70lbs). I did an easy 10 sets of 10, no timer. It was my second time swinging that bell, first time doing that many! Last, I did 30 pullovers with the 18lb bell.

It doesn't seem like I did much, but it was definitely a full body workout and I have no doubt that I will be feeling it tomorrow!

My husband straightened up the house while I was gone and took me on a sushi lunch date after my workout! He is awesome! Unfortunately, I forgot to take my meds and I feel like total crap this afternoon. I have a sinus thing that has settled in my ears. While my ears aren't infected yet, they are full of fluid. If I don't feel better in a couple days, it's antibiotic time. Now I must go in search of more advil.....

Busy day!

55 squats today with a 24kg bell. I bumped it up a bit. It wasn't as hard as I thought.

Then a 3x3 (3 sets of 3 reps each) of double cleans, presses, squats, and swings. I used two 10kg bells for cleans and presses and the 24kg bell for squats and swings. Note to self: Use heavier bell for swings! I got a little over enthusiastic with that!

On to a 3x3 with a double snatch and overhead squat. Again, I used a 10kg bell for this.

I didn't get to my TGUs today, hopefully I can do that tomorrow. Instead, I did 3 sets of 10 pullovers. I think my stomach muscles will be unhappy with me tomorrow!

After kettlebells and karate, I rushed home, showered, ate a quick lunch, and got ready to meet a friend for coffee. Then off to the store and picking up the rugrats from school. Then I get to make dinner and do another round of karate tonight when I help with the kids' class. And hopefully after the post-karate chaos of showers and bedtime, I can relax!

On a pretty awesome note, I hadn't seen my friend for a couple months and the first thing she said was how good I looked and had I lost weight? Actually, I have gained a tiny bit, but I am pretty sure it's muscle. It made me feel pretty good!

The Strut

That's what I am going to call it anyway. On my kettlebell/karate days, I realized that I carry myself differently. I walk taller, square my shoulders, and suck in my post-baby belly. Ten foot tall and bulletproof!

I am trying to merge this confidence into the other days of the week. I feel strong, I am strong, and there is no reason why I shouldn't look strong too!





And yes, I am guilty of flexing my arms in front of the bathroom mirror. I just like seeing that new bicep muscle peeking out!

Snatch Test Part 1

My legs are finally back to normal as of yesterday! But my shoulders were sore most of the weekend, I think that was from the heavy bag workout I did on Friday. I have also been sleeping funny due to my newest tattoo and that didn't help either.

By the time I made it to kettlebell class this morning, my advil had kicked in and I went straight to snatching. The goal of a snatch test is 200 snatches in 10 minutes, if you can manage that 2 weeks in a row, you get to move up to the next weight. I had been doing 140 snatches with a 10kg the last several weeks. I decided to go for 200 today, I had been stagnant long enough.

The first few rounds weren't too bad, then by the fourth or fifth I was beat. I was only getting about 15 seconds to rest between each set and that wasn't quite long enough! I pushed and got a couple more sets in. By round 8, I figured it would be stupid to give up on 200 now since I was so close. And then I finally finished and collapsed on my mat. One more week of this and I get to move up to a 12 kg bell!

Snatching and running have a lot in common. Both are physically hard, they get your heart rate going, you get sweaty, out of breath, and your body feels like it's just going to give out. And that's where your head comes in. You are either going to finish running or snatching or you aren't. When I would run, I would tell myself, just to that third mail box and I can walk. I get to that mailbox and think, just to that big tree, etc. Before I know it, I've made my goal. With snatching, it's the same. Just another round, one more. Before I know it, I am so close to the end, I may as well finish. Because if I give up, it will be that much harder next time!

After my collapse, I went on to do a 2x3 ladder of double presses, squats, and swings with the 10kg bells. Then I did push presses and double jerks with two 14kg bells. I only managed five of each, which was disappointing after doing 15 last week. But I have a feeling that's what killed my legs last week and snatching took a lot out of me.

Six rounds and then some

Six 2-minute rounds on a heavy bag doesn't seem like much, but it is tough! I will work up to more though. I can be stubborn like that. And at least I wore gloves this time....

Running is put off another 2 weeks. My friend has doctors orders. That's ok though, my legs are still really sore. I think that's on its way out, hopefully.

Looking forward to snatching and pressing next week! Squatting? Not so much.

Ouch!

Did I mention I was a little sore in my last post? I am hurting today for sure!

I have no idea what made me sore. Yes, I increased my weight for hard press day, but only by a total of 8lbs. And I did significantly increase my weight for push presses and double jerks, but only because I did so well with my PR. I double-checked with my instructor to make sure I wasn't overdoing it. Or maybe it was rest week #2 that did it. I don't know.

I walked into class yesterday pretty sore. My workout consisted of 55 squats, 9 double presses, cleans, more squats, swings, double snatch with an overhead squats, and 3 TGUs with some windmills and snatches thrown in there.

I did not want to do those 55 squats. So I got those over with first with a 22kg bell. Then on to the press, clean, squat, swing complex. I finished that with 2 10kg bells. More squats. Overhead this time. Got a few pointers so they don't pull in my lower back as much.

At this point, I had about 10 minutes left in class and was ready to call it quits. But I still had those TGUs left. So I did it. I used a 12kg bell, but may go down to a 10kg next time. My wrist wasn't quite strong enough to stay straight. And I was tired.

My legs hurt today.