5 bros pulled up in the InVue parking lot (to get a little shelter from the rain) at about 0530, ready to kick off a new year of Swole with a hypertrophy program of High Tide’s design. For details of the program, see here.
After a thorough disclaimer for the pax, we got started with a little warm-up:
With the pax sufficiently warmed up, we moved on to the main event, which consisted of 5 sets of 3 supersets of exercises performed every 2:00. Pax with smaller bells, work for 1:30 and rest for :30, pax with medium sized bells, work for 1:00 and rest for 1:00, pax with large bells or doubles, work for :30 and rest for 1:30. It worked out that most pax did 1 or 2 sets every 2:00, depending on bell size.
Carries – either farmer (if you have doubles) or waiter (alternating halfway for singles) – 90 seconds x 2 with 90 seconds rest between
Mary – 1:20 elbow plank until out of time
Announcements:
Moleskine:
Not sure about that title, but we’re going to go with it. 6 pax posted at Meathead yesterday for another humid October morning. Urlacher was going to Q, but then he went out of town on some quail hunting boondoggle, so I picked it up. Trying to mix up my usual auto-generated Spotify playlist, I went for the 00s Rock Anthems. The last two songs were Nickelback and 3 Doors Down, hence the backblast name.
Warm up:
Main Event:
First up is day 2 of the Wolf for 5 sets (1:2 work:rest ratio, which worked out to ~1:00 on/2:00 off):
That was fun!
Easy strength to bring the HR back down:
4 sets of each of the following (perform all sets of each exercise before moving on to the next):
Static holds – :20 double overhead, :20 double rack, :20 double farmer, 1:00 rest x 4
COT: Thanks to Orange Whip for taking us out.
Announcements:
Moldyskine:
This past Saturday, we had 6 pax at Olympus, including 3 site FNGs. #cobains to all of them for the late backblast. Due to the tardiness of the backblast, the following is an approximation of what took place.
After a disclaimer, we got to work.
Warm-up: SSH, swings, prying squats, windmills
Main Event:
The Wolf:
Rest 2x as long as the work set takes, then repeat for 3 total sets.
Easy Strength:
Carries: waiter, racked, suitcase
EMOM Swings:
Mary: I can’t remember exactly what we did, but it probably included planks, hollow body hold, and glute bridges.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
Today was the first day of the new kettlebell program and it brought 8 pax out to McAlpine Elementary on a cool, but still humid Monday morning. Since it was a new program and I had plagiarized it, Mighty Mite asked me to Q today. I had every intention of getting to the workout about 15 minutes early, but that didn’t work out and I rolled in at about 5:28. At least I wasn’t late.
Warm-up:
In an effort to keep Mighty Mite from bringing up yesterday’s Saints/Panthers game, I decided we were warm and should move on to the Main Event:
The Wolf – Week 1/Day 1
Double cleans x 5
Double front squats x 5
Double military press x 5
Double cleans x 5
Double front squats x 5
Do 3 sets with a work to rest ratio of 1 to 2. The exercises took ~1:00, so we rested 2:00. No resting during the complex, only at the end. Single bells can also be used, just work through the complex on one side, then the other.
Next, we did some Easy Strength to lower the heart rate:
4 sets of 5 double deadlifts
4 sets of 10 merkins on the bells
4 sets of 8 lawnmower rows per side
5 sets of 5 double swings
Carries:
Waiter carry (single bell overhead with locked elbow) for ~20 yards
Suitcase carry (single bell by your side) for ~20 yards
Switch sides and repeato.
Voodoo complex (single bell):
Swing, high pull, snatch, clean, squat, press. Complete on weak side, then on strong side. Don’t rest until you’re done with both sides. First time through, do 3 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next. Second time through, do 2 reps of each exercise. Third time through, do 1 rep of each exercise.
Mary: elbow plank for 1:15, hollow body hold for 1:00.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
The next 12 weeks of Swole, Meathead, and Olympus will focus on workouts from the book More Kettlebell Muscle by Geoff Neupert. This book is based on complexes (a series of compound exercises performed sequentially with the same weight and without rest. All the reps of one exercise are completed before moving on to the next exercise in the sequence) and chains (a series of compound exercises performed sequentially in which each exercise is performed once before the sequence is started again. Each time the sequence is performed is considered one repetition.)
This is a complex:
This is a chain:
Complexes build up local muscular fatigue quickly, so the work you can perform is limited by the weakest exercise in the complex. Chains spread the fatigue over more muscle groups, allowing you to do more work overall.
All of the workouts in this program can be performed as complexes or chains, giving the Q the opportunity to inject a little variety into them. While all of these workouts are written for double bells, pax can modify to single bells if they are less experienced, working through injury, or need to deload a bit. #youvsyou
The workout should be structured as follows: warm-up, MKM program, and finisher (easy strength, another complex/chain, carries, Mary). The only part of the workout that is programmed is the MKM portion, the rest is up to the Q.
We will work through two 6-week programs from the book. The workouts will be the same each day of the week, but the # of sets and work:rest ratio will vary over time.
The first workout is called The Wolf and it’s based on the squat because “the legs feed the wolf.” The second workout is called Clean ‘Em Up 2.0. As you can imagine, it’s based on the double clean.
The schedule can be found here.
Exercise reference:
We don’t do a lot of jerks, so feel free to substitute push presses. If you plan to do the jerk, keep in mind these cues:
The Jerk is a “3-D” exercise:
Tuesday afternoon, Urlacher (our scheduled Q for Meathead on Wednesday) sent an urgent communique that the COVID vaccine was making him its b*tch and he needed a substi-Q. I posted on Slack for volunteers and tagged the usual suspects. There were no takers, but Frehley’s suggested a round robin workout where we all took turns. Problem solved, I slept soundly Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning, 6 pax showed up with their bells and their bad intentions. I gave a disclaimer, then we did a little warming up (SSH, Windmill, Prying squats, halos) and we got to work.
Voodoo (I had it easy since I was following the spreadsheet for my portion):
Repeato for 10 rounds (5 per side), but switching arms each round. After the first 2 sets, we decided to only go up to 3 reps on the presses because it was taking too long.
Frehley’s Comet:
10 merkins on the bells, then 1o rows each side for 3 sets.
Ickey Shuffle:
20 swings, waiter carry out to the 2nd light and back (switching arms), then repeato with 10 swings and carrying to the first light.
Uncle Leo:
5 reverse lunges, 5 staggered squats, 5 single leg deadlifts, repeato on the other side for 3 rounds.
The Worm:
10 high pulls, 10 curls x 3
Soul Glo:
5 cleans, 5 racked squats per side x 5 rounds
Elbow plank for ~2:00 until 6:15
Announcements:
Moleskine:
A few weeks ago, Christmas did what any responsible site Q would do and reached out to gauge my interest in Qing Sparta. Of course, I said I’d be honored, but I was a little baffled since, as Hoover can tell you, I usually ask pax to Q at the last minute so they’re less likely to say no. Anyway, fast forward to the appointed day and 8 men showed up in the parking lot next to Seaboard.
0515 rolls around and off we go, heading down Trade Street to the pitch black greenway (no need for headlamps, boys!). After a brief jog down the greenway, we turn left into Matthews Elementary and run along the baseball fence to the big lot in the back. Circle up. After a (very) brief disclaimer, we got to work.
COP:
Partner work:
Partner 1 heads to the baby track for four corners:
Partner 2 heads to home plate on the baseball diamond:
At the lot, 5 dumbocrats (merkins with feet on partner’s shoulders) each. Repeat this circuit 3 times, then head to the school wall to avoid the invading Peak 51 pax.
Wall/court work:
Run back to Trade Street the way we came (except the Q missed the sidewalk so we ran in the grass instead). Squat hold for instructions at Trade Street – run to John Street, stopping at every light for 5 merkins. I have no idea how many lights there were, but it was over 10. Hold for the 6 and then head to the train tracks. Partner 1 runs down one street and partner 2 down another until you meet in the middle for 5 hand slap merkins. After we got going, the pax informed me that the cut through between the streets was waaaaaay down there, so I told everyone to stop for their merkins, then head back.
Mary:
Done. COT with the Peak 51 pax.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
YHC hit the snooze button 1 too many times this morning and then caught 3 of 5 lights on the way to the AO this morning, so I pulled in right as the clock rolled around to 5:30. I expected to find a lot full of pax who would be heckling me while I unloaded my bells. However, all I found was The Worm and two random cars parked down by the playground. The Worm is too kind to bust your balls for being late, so we chatted as I unloaded and then got to work around 5:33.
Warm up:
Main Event:
Time.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
This is going to be a double backblast since I’m 2 weeks behind for Olympus. Attendance tends to be low, so I’m guessing no one is too upset by the lack of backblasts.
8/14/2021 pax: Frehley’s Comet, High Tide, MAD, Mighty Mite, Victoria, Voodoo (Q)
Warm up:
Main Event:
Mary: elbow plank, hollow body hold, glute bridge
COT with the RockZero pax
8/21/2021 pax: Big League Chew, Flipper, High Tide, Mighty Mite
Warm-up:
Main Event:
Mary:
COT with the Rock Zero pax.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
4 of us posted at Olympus this past Saturday morning. It was a little drizzly, but that was a good thing because it kept us a little cooler. After a disclaimer, the veteran crew got to work.
Warm up:
Main Event:
Mary:
Time. Circle up with RockZero for COT.
Announcements:
Moleskine: