8 pax posted in the cold morning air at Calvary this morning for the first episode of Meathead for 2021. This would be the second workout of the new kettlebell program. After a quick disclaimer for a veteran crew, we started to shake off the cold.
Warm-up:
Main Thang:
Neupert: 10 sets of 6 double swings EMOM
Complex: The Goshawk: 8 goblet squats, 20 meter suitcase carry for 8 sets (64 squats and 160m of carries). Don’t put the bell down the entire time.
Easy Strength:
Single bell complex: 5 swings, 5 cleans, 5 snatches, 5 presses, 5 reverse lunges per side. Repeato
Mary:
Announcements:
Moleskine:
8 pax circled up on the first Monday of 2021 for the launch of a new kettlebell program at Swole. If you want to read up on it, please check out this link.
After a thorough disclaimer and a quick description of what we’d be doing, we got down to business.
Warm-up:
Main Event:
Neupert: Double clean + double military press (DCL+DMP): 10 sets of 1 rep with a weight that you can press with good form for 4-5 challenging reps
Complex: 15:00 AMRAP or Armor Building: 2 DCL, 1 DMP, 3 double front squat (DFS)
Easy Strength (use single or double bells where applicable, weight should be heavy since reps are low):
Carries: Pick up 2 bells any way you want and carry until told to put them down. These were supposed to be 3 sets of 1:00, but the timer was tough to hear.
Mary: 1:00 elbow plank, box cutters x 30 IC, 1:00 glute bridge
Fin
COT: Thanks to Madison for the takeout this morning.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
In January 2020, we rolled out a series of structured kettlebell workouts in order to provide some direction to the pax’s strength training. We spent months performing a modified StrongFirst Level I SFG training program, a swing/merkin/snatch program, and a swing program. For 2021, we will likely re-run some of those programs as well as revisit the Total Tension program some pax followed in late 2019.
Starting at Swole on Monday, we will transition to a new program focused on heavier weights and lower reps. The focus of the program will be two programs devised by Geoff Neupert: Kettlebell Strong and Kettlebell One. The Strong program consists of double cleans and double presses while the One program consists of double swings. If you don’t have a pair of identical bells, both can be performed with either (i) a single kettlebell or (ii) mismatched double kettlebells (switch sides each set). You should start with a weight that you can press for 4-5 tough reps. The goal is to gradually increase the number of reps being performed each workout. By the end, that weight will be much more manageable than when you started.
Each workout will consist of 4 sections:
The specifics of sections 2-4 can be found on the different tabs of the Google Sheet saved here. The Q has discretion over the Warm-up, any Complex(es), the Easy Strength, and Mary portions. Suggestions are included in the spreadsheet. Each workout will have a prescribed Neupert workout based on the schedule in the spreadsheet.
As always, the focus of each workout should be performing good quality reps. If you have questions about any of the exercises, please ask questions of the Q or site Qs at the workout. I (Voodoo) am working on collecting some of the bells that I have lent out during the pandemic and will bring extra bells to the workouts to lend to pax in need of them once I have them.
If you’ve been posting for a while, we hope you will continue to come out and support the sites. If you’ve been curious about bells, please join us and give it a try. If you have questions, please ask.
See you in the gloom,
Voodoo, Mighty Mite, Unplugged, Ickey Shuffle, and High Tide
‘Twas the morning after Christmas and 5 pax posted with their bells at Petsmart in Blakeney in the early morning chill. The Da Vinci/RockZero crew was intimidated by the pax’s steely determination to not run and were led off to the far reaches of the parking lot by Taco Stand.
The plan for the day was to celebrate the holidays with a 12 days of Christmas themed beatdown. An extra 13 exercises were added to day 12 to celebrate my 2.2’s birthday today.
Warm up:
The Thang:
Each day builds on the last, so day 1 = exercise 1, day 2 = exercise 2 + exercise 1, etc.
Mary:
COT: Circle up with the boot campers.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
3 pax took shelter from the cold rain in the Hot Box at Calvary. Someone had kindly moved the picnic tables out of the way to create a large, open space for us to distance ourselves. The Q was right on time, which equates to being a little late when bells and other gear need to be carried to the workout location. #QFail#1
Warm up:
As we were about to get started, in rolled Flipper and Point Break. As the only 2 pax to post at Anvil on this miserable day, they figured they’d join us for a bit. Bells were distributed and we got started.
Main Event:
Set 1:
Set 2:
The plan was to repeato sets 1 and 2 8 times to hit 240 swings. 20 swings in warm-up + 240 swings in the main event is 260 swings, which is 10 too many. #QFail#2 It also turned out that all these exercises took too much time, so after doing 3 rounds of sets 1 and 2, we had taken up too much time and only done 110 swings. #QFail#3 For the next 4 rounds, we did 30 2-handed swings instead of the 15 1-handed swings. We wrapped up with 1 round of 10 1-handed swings to get to an even 250 swings for the workout.
After the first round through, Point Break and Flipper made a break for it, returning after the swings were over for a little Mary (1:00 each):
COT – Thanks to Flipper for taking us out.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
Posted on behalf of Soul Glo (who is neither on Slack nor WordPress, apparently):
Warm-up:
SSH x20
IW x15
Low squat and hold (prying squat)
Main Event:
Swing x25, clean x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, good morning x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, high pull x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, Romanian dead lift x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, lawnmower row x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, forward lunge x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, shoulder press x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, squat x10, merkin x10
Swing x25, laying hip-raise x10, merkin x10
Swing x 25, snatch x10, merkin x10
Waiter carry R 30 seconds, waiter carry L 30 seconds
Farmer carry R 30 seconds, farmer carry L 30 seconds
Elbow plank 60 second
Freddy Mercury x 50 (single count)
Neither the cool temp nor impending playlist deterred five pax from posting at this week’s rendition of Meathead. I knew better than to stray from the 250-swing template but felt emboldened enough to swap out some of the 80’s power chords for, well, a few synthesizers and even an acoustic cover (in honor of Unplugged). War Eagle dug it stating, “Frehley’s would be rolling over in his bed right now but I like the mix.” Naturally, this led to stories of concerts, pregnant wives and pregnant wives at concerts. Remember concerts? Definitely what I’ve personally missed the most these past nine months. As for the actual workout my goal was to go all out on an exercise one time. I know when I have multiple sets ahead of me I tend to pace myself/sandbag. We’ll find out tomorrow morning if it worked!
YHC pulled into the lot around 0500 and it was eerily quiet out there. Usually, there’s a herd of Swifters heading out for a pre-run, but they must have decided the extra 1.3 miles wasn’t necessary this morning. Atlas was there, but after getting out to check the temperature, he opted for 15 more minutes of warmth. Cooter2 climbed out of his car at 0502 and we headed out for pre-mosey at 0503. When we got back to the lot, 8 studs joined us for the main event.
Disclaimer: I’m not a professional, etc.
Warm-up jog along Ballantyne Commons, at which point Mighty Mite started complaining that he didn’t like where things were headed. To throw him off the scent, we turned right on Rushmore to circle up for COP in the parking lot:
Mosey to the base of Ben Nevis to crush the pax’s spirits.
20 dips, 10 derkins, 10 split squats per leg, the mosey up the hill to the first lot on the right. Plank for the six. Run back down to the bottom and repeato the set. This is where Cooter2 decided discretion was the better part of valor and headed back to the launch rather than risking a hip injury.
Mosey to the pond at Rushmore and Harney where the pax planked up again for instructions.
Partner up (size and speed don’t matter). P1 does called exercise and P2 runs around the pond (bear crawl the bridge). Flapjack until the required number of reps are completed:
Each pax rounded the pond twice during this circuit.
Mosey up Harney and turn left, quick plank to wait for the six, then take the next right. Duck into another lot for more Mary (hollow body hold) while we wait for the six. Mosey back to the launch and circle up for more Mary:
Done
Circle up with the Swift pax (Frazier, Bunker, Paper Jam, Atlas, and Bratwurst) – thanks to Paper Jam for the take out.
Announcements:
Moleskine:
After a solo mission last week, YHC was hopeful to have some company for this week’s edition of Olympus. I had 3 hard commits, so the odds were good. After a double pre-run (gotta hit the 2020 mileage goal), I rolled up to the AO (a minute late) and found Swiss Miss and High Tide in the parking lot. After my Mr. Rogers routine (changing out of running shoes and into lifting shoes, we got started.
Appetizer: SSH, Sharon Towers, Prying Squat
Main Course:
Repeat 4 times for 400 swings, 80 merkins, 32 goblet squats, 32 deadlifts, 40 clean and press.
Mary: 60 second hard style elbow plank and hollow body hold
COT: Circle up with the RockZero pax
Announcements:
Moleskine:
Saturday is lifting day, so YHC came up with a weinke, loaded the bells in the car, and headed for the hot box at Calvary for another week’s edition of Olympus. It was cool and a little wet, so I expected numbers to be down. Unfortunately, the rest of the pax were apparently suffering from Black Friday hangovers and it was a beatdown for 1.. Not a problem when you’ve got a good playlist.
Appetizer: SSH, Sharon Towers, Arm Circles, Prying Squat
Main Course:
Repeat 4 times for 400 swings, 80 merkins, 32 goblet squats, 32 deadlifts, 40 clean and press.
Load the bells back in the car and join the RockZero crew for some Mary and COT.
Announcements:
Moleskine: