Heavy + Conditioning

Heavy + Conditioning

After hundreds, probably thousands, of miles of BRR training in the hills of Raintree and Piper Glen (including two common-law HOA memberships), a dodgy knee, a monkey fist knot in my left glute, grape-sized blisters, and a dead toe nail: the hay is in the barn and the biscuits are in the oven–back to the bells.  Finally.  Fourteen like-minded pax, including a robust SOB showing, moved the iron in a workout that scarcely registered on the pedometer.

The Weinke….

WARMUP

• KB behind back for chest/shoulder stretch
• Around the world ea way (brace abs for punch, squeeze glutes to protect back)
• Halos ea way (same)
• Prying squat hold
• 2H Swings x 40

HEAVY

• 2H Swings x 10-15; Rotate to at least one size bigger than your normal bell. Or go with lighter double KB.
• Heavy Dead Cleans x 10 ea. arm
• Single or Double Heavy 2H Swing pyramid: 9-12-15-12-9
• Single or Double Heavy Swing Clean pyramid: 6-9-12-9-6
• Single or Double Heavy Snatch descending ladder: 9-6-3

CONDITIONING

• 2H Swings Ladder:  x10 x15 x25 x50 (100 total)
• Repeat x 2
• Finisher: 2H swings x 1 min
• About 325 swings

COT

MOLESKIN

This was really two workouts stitched together: heavy work followed by conditioning work.  Ideally, you’d spend 30, maybe 40, minutes on Heavy day and maybe the same on a separate conditioning day. The abridged mashup was to serve for some KB object lessons.

First, most guys can handle significantly more weight than they are currently swinging.  This isn’t an ego thing–it’s an acknowledgement that the ballistic nature of many of the KB moves allows for more weight.  A KB is not a dumbbell: a DB is typically used to isolate muscle groups whereas a KB combines muscle groups.  The additional muscle groups combined with the ballistic movements leads to heavier weights. You may not be ready quite yet to jump to 48 kg, but you most likely need to move up at least one KB size, but probably two.

Second, you need more than one KB--heavier for grinding moves like swings and squats and a smaller one for presses (and maybe groundwork), when you start to fatigue, and for combining for doubles.  The Meathead concept of 0.0 allows for this–all the bells are right there in the COP.  It’s harder to accomplish in the typical F3 “gear” workout; not easy to tote 2 KBs around the AO (but it can be done…)

Third, the KB is a great conditioning tool.  The swing ladders got the heart rate up and perhaps got in your head a little (50 swings? Again?).  It may have exposed a weak link–if your form is not compact and efficient you fatigue early.  Most likely, your grip is the first give out.

If you want to sharpen you form, pack on muscle and strengthen your grip, join us for the 10,000 swing challenge this fall:  500 swings a day (5 sets:  10x / 15x / 25x / 50x), 2 days on, 1 day off. Look for tweets after the BRR.

Other comments/observations:

• Lots of good work out there today.  Seemed like everyone embraced the Heavy concept and got a chance to experiment with several combos, whether single or double.
• Stone Cold apparently has been fully brainwashed by the #PencilArm crowd: wore sleeves to a Meathead workout.
• Not so with Brown, however, who raided Gramps’ t-shirt drawer with a classic and unapologetic #wifebeater.  He kind of smelled like Brut 33, too.
• New Pax FNG has jumped in with both feet: FNG post to Fast Twitch, back to Death Valley yesterday, then posts at Meathead today for his first ever KB work.  Looked darned good doing it, too.  He’s a solid contender for Rookie of Week. Good EH work by Madison, too.
• Triple Claps also to Bartman, a Cubs fan who first posted yesterday at DV.  New guys getting after it…
• Proposed supplement to Meathead disclaimer: You must be at least 48″ tall to ride The Beast. #Webster.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Labor Day Area 51 convergence will be at DMZ (Carmel Park launch at 0700).  Foxhole will be on regular schedule. All other Monday A51 workouts will be at DMZ.
• Look for additional convergence info in the weekly email/tweets/preblasts for the next weekend (Friday 9-5 and Sat. 9-6) due to BRR.
• Pray for Turkey Leg and his family on the loss of his mother earlier this week.  If you’d like to make a donation in her memory talk to me or Alf.