tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36281013478533399532024-03-14T08:03:50.401-07:00Charm City KettlebellsWe Sell Results, Not Memberships! Baltimore Maryland's Premier and only CERTIFIED Russian Kettlebell Classes. Get in your best shape ever and have fun doing it!Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-30519059099070417712009-08-10T19:17:00.000-07:002009-08-10T19:20:21.430-07:00Charm City Kettlebell Blog Has MovedAs of now I have moved all of my writing and also my training site to http://www.charmcitykettlebells.com Please join us there and if you are an RKC with a blog please email me so I can get your blog listed. If you have an interesting blog and aren't an RKC please still email me and I will review for listing.No longer will there be any posts here.<br /><br />Send email to sandysommer@charmcitykettlebells.com<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-21667886695831509332009-07-19T05:12:00.000-07:002009-07-19T06:26:42.342-07:00Charm City Kettlebells Week In ReviewCharm City Kettlebells had a great week. Some great private sessions with clients and I continue my own quest to develop my strength and conditioning. We also had a Charm City Kettlebell Meet Up yesterday at Towson High School. Please email me at sandysommer@charmcitykettlebells.com if you'd like to join us for the next one sometime in August. We had tons of fun and I had a chance to introduce the kettlebell to a few newbies and give some insight to some veterans.<br /><br />As you probably are aware, <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/?apid=sandyrkc61">kettlebells</a> are my preferred mode of strength and conditioning. Recently I finished the <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b39.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Viking Warrior Conditioning</a> Conditioning Cycle and am deeply immersed in a new raw strength cycle that Marty Gallagher put together for me. Marty is one of the most respected minds in the world of strength training and Pavel Tsatsouline has mentioned Marty as one of his mentors.<br /><br />My current training is a blissful marriage of my take on <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b33.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Enter The Kettlebell</a>, <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b10.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Power To The People</a> and <a href="http://marty.dragondoor.com/?apid=sandyrkc61">Marty Gallagher</a>. The union lasts until October 2, 2009 and at that point I will take a week off and then attack the Viking Warrior Program again.<br /><br />Here's what my training looked like for the week.<br /><br />Monday I weighed in at 194 pounds on the dot. Since I commenced my current program 6 weeks ago I have added 10.8 pounds of body weight. I'm as lean as I was when this started on June 1, 2009. Around May 15, 2009 I weighed 181.1 and was 11 % body fat. I will test again in mid August but I think I am around the same body tissue ratio.<br /><br />Each day this week I started my workout with Turksih Get Ups. I find this is really one of the best compound movements to do in order to get the juices flowing and the joints properly lubed up.<br /><br />Monday Wednesday and Saturday I did ETK. Lots of ladders and low reps for the clean and press. I am looking to build raw power. I should mention that with the added weight I haven't gotten much bigger. Just a lot denser and that is my goal. Density and not size. In addition, I rolled the dice and did the presribed one hand swings. My hip power is growing and growing.<br /><br />Tuesday I did narrow stance conventional deadlifting. Mark Chaillet and Marty Gallagher tweaked my form slightly a few weeks ago but I was pretty solid having learned a lot from Doc Cheng in June and it is paying dividends as my pulls are improving mightily. I also did staright bar front squats and pull ups along with pistols.<br /><br />Thursday I started with heavy loaded cleans with the next bigger bell above my pressing and did heavy snatches too. Then back to dead lifting.<br /><br />Friday all I did my Pull ups. <br /><br />I'm seeing steady improvement in all my lifts. Even the Pull ups though I've added mass. Very excited about this and will keep you posted.<br /><br />Please email me any questions and be sure to leave your thougths and comments as well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/1478?apid=sandyrkc61">Sandy Sommer, RKC</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-16488596565145100342009-07-09T04:22:00.000-07:002009-07-09T04:34:39.998-07:00If It Sucks, It Probably Instructs: How And Why To Keep Promises To YourselfHere is another great piece from a fellow RKC. I'm excited to include Josh as a guest at Charm City Kettlebells blog. He a wonderful wordsmith with great information. I hope to feature him regularly.<br /><br />If It Sucks, It Probably Instructs: How And Why To Keep Promises To Yourself<br /><br />By Josh Hanagarne, <a href="http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com">World’s Strongest Librarian</a><br /><br /> When my grandfather was 13 years old, his father drove him to a large field in the middle of Utah, let him out, and said: “Build us a barn. I’ll see you at the end of the summer.” It was the first week in June. That gangly teenager built the barn, slept on the ground, and had enough time left over to shoot enough deer to feed his seven brothers and sisters that winter. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The plight of the modern day human<br /></span><br /> How often does your job require you to reach over your head, get down on the floor, breathe heavily, or expend enough energy to burn the calories from your lunch? If you’re at all like me, not often. I manage a library and spend about six hours a day on a computer. My whole world, if I didn’t make it otherwise, has shrunken to a three-foot box about the size of a baseball strike zone. <br /> <br /> Inside that box is where I reach for my keyboard. It’s where my hands go when they need to answer the phone. My shoulders try to slump forward and my spine tries to curve in ways that it was never intended to. <br /><br /> But I’ve shattered that box and nothing feels better. My tiny office is full of sledgehammers, kettlebells, grippers, decks of cards, and a pull-up bar I rigged up. I had to throw my chair away to fit all the stuff in. Best decision I ever made. Modern man allows terms and spaces to be dictated to him.<br /> <br /> Reject this and evolve. It just takes a decision. Not wishful thinking, a decision. When the pain of not being strong and fit gets so great that you can’t bear it, you will change it or you will pay the price. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A brief background to my training</span><br /><br /> For over 20 years I’ve battled the stupid and occasionally very entertaining disorder called Tourette’s Syndrome. If you’d like to learn more about this you can check out my series How To Have Tourette’s. TS can manifest in different ways, but here’s what it’s like for me: it forces me to make noises and movements involuntarily. This can range from rapid eye blinking to screaming so hard without warning that I once got a hernia from it. It was a big fat wrench in all of my goals and plans. I was smart, capable, able-bodied (for a while), but I had a hellish time even going out in public. <br /><br /> When I was in my early twenties, my dad suggested I started hitting the weights. “You need some small victories,” he said. I was willing to try anything, so we bought some weights and got after it. How can I describe the change? I’m very good with words—I have the irrelevant English degree and smart-guy glasses to prove it. But I can’t describe how much I loved to whip myself with that iron.<br /> <br /> For so long my body had done whatever it wanted. Now, for a brief time each day, my body belonged to me. I could look at myself in the mirror and glare and say “All right you, for the next hour you’re going to do exactly what I tell you. Now shut up and get after it.” And when I was done with that hour, my tics flooded back in like clockwork. But I no longer cared as much. I was strong. After enough voluntary, productive, hurts-so-good-beg-for-mercy pain and sweat, nothing else during that day scared me. Not for a second. To hell with the dislocated thumbs, the hernia, the weird looks from strangers, or the fact that I was still trapped in my house. <br /> I even gave up my voice for three years so doctor’s could experiment with a treatment they hoped would help: botox injections in my vocal cords. I gave up talking, but I didn’t give up working out my rage, pain, and the frustrations that are the cost of living.<br /><br /> When my symptoms grew more manageable, I needed the weights for different reasons. I needed them to be my mirror. To teach me. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Give yourself a gift</span><br /><br />Perhaps you want to look good or your focus is on brute strength. The good news is that you don’t have to choose one or the other. Fitness is just a word. Strength is an idea that will creep into every part of your life. And the type of strength that lets you move bigger and bigger weights, that makes you collapse on the floor with exhaustion and exhilaration—it’s going to make you look better. Better yet, it’s going to teach you things about yourself. <br /> <br />As Jack Reape said, intensity is not a grimace. It’s a number. It’s work.<br />Training Hard changes you. I’m not talking about obsessive training or marathon sessions of curls and kickbacks. Zealotry doesn’t ever lead to anything healthy. I’m talking about hard, voluntary, work. Work that your grandfather and the generation from The Depression could respect. You choose to test yourself. You choose to take the trip, the road less traveled. You elect to suffer a bit so that you can be a better human being. The pain gives you perspective. The results give you confidence. Confidence opens doors that you’ll never even see if you’re hiding in your comfort zone—like my office.<br />Brutally hard work isn’t that fun while you’re doing it. In fact, sometimes it just sucks. But if it sucks, it probably instructs. You can’t know too much about yourself, and there are things you’ll never learn about yourself until you’ve walked this road for a while.<br /><br />Personally, I’m into kettlebells, deadlifting, and feats of strength. I recently got certified as an RKC (Russian kettlebell instructor), but I’m equally at home tearing a deck of cards in half or pulling heavy deads. The point is not to say Wheeee! I’m strong! Everyone look at me! The point is that I fear nothing more than boredom, stagnation, and the lack of progress. I’m learning character and commitment every day.<br />Anyone can, but it’s easier not to.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Keeping promises</span><br /><br />One of the hardest things about being human is that it is so easy to let ourselves off the hook. You probably made some New Year’s resolutions a few months ago. How’s that going? If you’re on track, bravo! Most of us have deviated a bit. Why? Because even the most honest person in the world finds it too easy to break promises to themselves. How can this be true? Aren’t we worth more than that? We are, but nobody holds us accountable for the lies we tell ourselves—only we know. Or worse, maybe we don’t even view broken promises to ourselves as lies. We must fix this. Only when we can say, “I am better than this,” can we start heading towards our potential. <br /><br />Make a decision. Draw a map. Grind your teeth and take a step and never look back. Whatever your tools, whatever your goals, whoever you are and wherever you’re reading this from: you are so much more than you think and you owe it to yourself to love yourself enough to be honest. Your own mind is a classroom you can’t escape from. Fill it with good things and progress reports. (Or lack of progress reports). <br />My grandfather could work me into the ground in an hour. But he respects my commitment to improvement and progress. If you no longer have a goal, you’re no longer making a journey—you’re on a treadmill, and I don’t care what anyone tells you…that’s not hard, cleansing work that’s going to show you what you’re made of. <br /><br />Let’s go. <br /> <br />Together.<br /> <br />Today. <br /><br />I don’t care if you take the lead or you need to follow me. I’m going either way because I know I’m better today than I was yesterday. I can’t wait to see who I’ll be tomorrow. <br /> <br />But once you make the promise, whatever it is, pretend that everyone in the world will know about it and broadcast it on the jumbotron during the Super Bowl.<br /> <br />That would suck, but it would teach you something. <br /><br />Josh Hanagarne is the <a href="http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com">World's Strongest Librarian</a> and a big fan of Charm City Kettlebells. If you're looking for more information on kettlebells, coping with Tourette's, buying pants when you're 6'8", you need a shoulder to cry on, or you're wondering how to write a successful but unfocused blog, he's your man. <br /><br />Please subscribe to Josh's <a href="http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com/newsletter">Stronger, Smarter, Better newsletter</a> and <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/worldsstrongestlibrarian">RSS updates</a> to stay in touch. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/1478?apid=sandyrkc61">Sandy Sommer, RKC</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-70316207461444875322009-07-07T18:20:00.000-07:002009-07-07T20:43:50.668-07:00Dead Lifting in PennsylvaniaAfter the <a href="http://www.delawarekettlebellworkshop.com">Delaware Kettlebell Workshop</a>, I added dead lifting to my work routine. <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/585?apid=sandyrkc61">Dr. Mark Cheng, RKC TL </a>spent so much time on this primal movement at our seminar and I felt that I benefited so much from that investment that I went back and scoured <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/dv004.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Power To The People </a>for every tidbit I could about <a href="http://charmcitykettlebells.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-is-hard-style-strength-and-how.html">"Hard Style"</a> training in general and dead lifting in particular. <br /><br />I felt very strongly that I needed to add these pulls to my program so I decided to consult with Marty Gallagher, author of <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b37.html?apid=sandyrkc61">The Purposeful Primitive</a>, and my strength coach. Please keep in mind that the last time I did dead lifts would have been about 1986. Quite awhile ago and even though I trust what I learned with Doc Cheng I wanted to have a power lifting guy look at it too. <br /><br />I talked to Marty about it and he said why don't you come up so I can take a look? I was a bit concerned when he casually mentioned that <a href="http://houseofpaynepowerlifting.homestead.com/chaillet.html">Mark Chaillet </a>may be around to take a peek as well. I knew Chaillet's reputation as a dead lifter extraordinaire but until I went back and looked at Purposeful Primitive I had forgotten just how amazing his performance. Mark is the only person to conventionally dead lift over 800 pounds post-age 40. Uh oh I thought. (Actually I said this out loud) This is gonna suck to pull in front of these two. Marty assured me that all Chaillet would be looking at was my form. As a technician, Marty said, "Mark won't notice what's on the bar. Good I said because there won't be much to see:)<br /><br />So I warm up a bit with some joint work and am feeling pretty self conscious. The analogy would be Tiger Woods helping me with golf. That's the quality of this pair. Marty puts a plate on each side and says "OK let's see." Right away there are corrections. Minor ones so I feel pretty good. A lot of it was being nervous. I made some quick adjustments and then added more poundage. Feeling better and they are liking my dead lifts. A few more adjustment. Ultimately they send me on my way with a narrower stance, slower hips, a more upright back and that was about it. These three corrections made a world of difference and will help me make Marty's secret predication come true about my ultimate dead lift max.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/1478?apid=sandyrkc61">Sandy Sommer, RKC, Towson MD</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-48428365436993264412009-07-05T15:04:00.000-07:002009-07-05T15:08:29.364-07:0010 Reasons You Should Make the Kettlebell Your Workout By Guest Jeff HopeckFirst, a kettlebell is a weighted ball with a handle. The kettlebell itself doesn't bring you the results, it's the way you use it. Kettlebell training is hands down the most effective way to train, provided you know what you are doing. The purpose of writing this article is to demonstrate how effective this training can be if you take the right steps to learning it properly.<br /><br />Personally, I was exposed to the concept in 2003 during my time with the Secret Service- when kettlebells were not popular by any means, but were certainly starting to make a name for themselves. The actual concept exploded in 2008- when movie stars, professional sports teams, high-profile athletes, house-moms, and every single martial artist in the book claimed fame to using the kettlebell.<br /><br />Let's take a look at 10 reasons why kettlebell training is so fun, effective, and easy to perform:<br /><br />1. One kettlebell replaces a treadmill, barbell and dumbbell COMBINED!<br /><br />2. You can workout at home, saving you countless hours of wasted commute time to a gym.<br /><br />3. A kettlebell takes up very little room at your home.<br /><br />4. All you need to do is get educated from an expert, or someone who knows how to use a kettlebell; and you can construct your own type of workout routines for years to come, due to the versatility of the kettlebell itself.<br /><br />5. Kettlebells are inexpensive. NOT relatively inexpensive, but inexpensive. Sure, you pay a lot to ship them, but let's be honest: one bell replaces hundreds of dollars of gym equipment you would otherwise have to purchase.<br /><br />6. Kettlebell workouts strengthen your core - not just your abs, but your entire core.<br /><br />7. You can hold the kettlebell by the handle, by the ball, upside down by the bottom, sideways by the handle - making for a different workout and muscle group every time you use them!<br /><br />8. You can easily travel with a kettlebell because of the way it is constructed. You simply pick it up as if it were a teapot and off you go!<br /><br />9. Workouts last 20 minutes. If you are performing the exercises correctly, you can have an amazing workout in just 20 minutes every day. I actually witnessed a 488 calorie workout take place with double 30lb kettlebells! The workout was tracked on a brand name, high-end calorie/heart rate monitor.<br /><br />10. Research says it all. Just surf the internet and see for yourself the millions of people resorting to the kettlebell and the amazing results they are achieving.<br /><br />Again- these are just some of the many reasons you should train with kettlebells. Be sure to continue doing research online to find many other benefits!<br /><br />3 Year U.S. Secret Service Veteran, Author and Speaker Jeff Hopeck has dedicated his life to helping people eat healthier- without cutting out the fun! Access thousands of FREE recipes, snacking tips, and exercises at <a href="http://healthyhabitsblog.com">http://healthyhabitsblog.com</a><br /><br />Jeff is the creator of the jeffHopeck kettlebell- a high end kettlebell that is designed for quality-seekers... not bargain hunters!<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Hopeck">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Hopeck</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-50733811237047501832009-07-02T14:34:00.000-07:002009-07-02T15:10:07.450-07:00How to go from Zero to Hero in the Secret Service Snatch Test in Two Easy StepsI promised to get a blog post out to you all regarding the Secret Service Snatch today and I feel I've really outdown myself! Well I haven't exactly outdone myself since I didn't write this piecebut next week I will offer an alternative for you all to compare to. There are oh so many ways to "Skin a cat" and Sean flat out nails this. Thanks to my good friend <a href="http://russiankettlebellroom.blogspot.com/">Sean Schniederjan, </a>RKC for contributing this set. Sean is also hosting the <a href="http://hardstyleventura.com/">Pavel Ventura workshop </a>in the Fall! Sean is a very well regarded fellow RKC and wrote <strong>How to go from Zero to Hero in the Secret Service Snatch Test in Two Easy Steps:</strong><br /><br />Step One: Read and do <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b33.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Enter The Kettlebell</a>. There is no doubt that this is the best kettlebell program for raw beginners and those who have a decent base level of strength but no direction in their training. Keep in mind that this isn’t a “workout” book, it is a program that is essentially a road map for hitting difficult yet obtainable goals: Pressing the kettlebell closest to one half your bodyweight and the simple, sinister, and brutal <a href="http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com/2276/kettlebell-challenge-the-secret-service-snatch-test/">Secret Service Snatch Test (SSST), </a>which will humble even the most elite athletes. The real beauty of ETK is that if you follow it, you will be able to do the SSST, while the most elite athlete with little or no kettlebell experience would be tossing his or her cookies on the pavement. The level of conditioning it takes to perform the SSST is truly out of this world, yet attainable with a little focus and discipline in your training.<br /><br /><strong>What is the SSST?</strong><br /><br />Pavel goes into a detailed description of the origins of the SSST in ETK, but essentially it is performing 200 snatches (24kg for men, 16kg for women) in 10 minutes. The bell may be set down and you may take as many hand switches as you please. All you have to do is get to 200 and I guarantee you will not come close on your first try. I don’t believe I’ve heard of anyone faring well on their first try. You probably guessed that the United States Secret Service uses this to test the mental and physical abilities of their agents under high levels of stress. There is a point every victim of the test reaches during the test where the true nature of the stress of what you are doing becomes evident to the body and mind. The mind and body experience an intense “shock” that can only be overcome with good form and sharp mental stamina. You really must experience this for yourself.<br /><br />My Experience with the ETK<br /><br />I’m your average male. I’m not a mutant by any means and don’t have a lot of sports and working out in my background besides the occasional push up and curl binges in high school and college. However, following ETK and my own tweaked up version of the Program Minimum allowed me to hit a 240 in the SSST, which some might consider mutant territory in this particular endeavor. That was a few years ago and to this day is my proudest physical achievement.<br /><br />I had been doing KBs for around two years prior with little direction. I randomly did swings, snatches, Turkish get-ups, floor presses, military presses, etc, pretty much towed the party line. Soon after the release of ETK, the dragondoor forum was buzzing with talk of the SSST. I hadn’t bought or read ETK yet, but I thought since all these people were attacking the SSST, I might as well do it too since I knew how to snatch a KB and could fairly easily bang out sets of 10-20 snatches with a 24kg. So I grabbed my watch, my kettlebell, and ventured out to the backyard to do 200 reps in 10 minutes. I thought I was a pretty good snatcher and with a tough attitude, I honestly thought I was going to go out there and do this. As Troy MacClure, the washed out actor voiced by Phil Hartmann in the early years of the Simpsons would say: “Nothing could be further from the truth!” It was around the 8 or 9 minute mark and I was positively done at a little over 120 total snatches. I could not do one more snatch, even if some were there yelling at me or offering me something of high value.<br /><br />The truth set in and it hurt. Humility is knowledge of the truth, and I had just experienced the truth: I was a looooong way from 200 snatches in 10 minutes.<br /><br />A few weeks later ETK arrived. This was the first laid out training program I had ever done. Weeks started going by and I was surprised at how easy it was to stay on the program. There is something natural about the way the program is set up. Easy, Medium, and Heavy days with the lifts used (swings and snatches, along with presses for the shoulder/arm work) just agreed with me and I had no trouble fulfilling my three day per week obligation. I hardly ever used the optional “variety days,” which was a testament to how satisfying and quality my workouts were for the minimal three days. My variety day was resting my body. Progress came quickly. After a few weeks of the swings, I noticed I could (big surprise) do more swings…in less time! <br /><br />The light days on ETK use snatches instead of swings, with more of an emphasis on pure form than killing yourself as you would on a heavy day. About a month or two into the program I remember having to 8 minutes of snatching on the easy day. I decided to test myself and go harder than the requirements of that day and I ended up with 160 snatches in 8 minutes. That shocked me, but what shocked me even more was that I was relatively close to not being smoked (I always get smoked from snatches, but this was real progress)!<br /><br />So I kept at it and at last test day came. Long story short, I made a calculation error in my set breakdown and did only 197 in 10 minutes when I thought I had done 207. It was a colossal bummer, but I knew I was right at the doorstep of 200. More swings later, I tested again and hit 210. I remember thinking that something magical would happen the moment I crossed 200. I was expecting my shirt to get ripped off my body and my soul torn from my body and thrown into heaven by a jealous god (or something you might read on the comments section of the howling wolves t-shirts on amazon).<br /><br />Follow ETK by the spirit and the letter and you will pass the Secret Service Snatch Test. If I can, then you can. Every girivik should own a dog-eared copy of Enter the Kettlebell! If you don’t have it, get it. There are good resources for beginners out there, but nothing will deliver the quickness of results in less time in a rational, comprehensive, yet simple manner as ETK. This book belongs in the library of anyone remotely interested in physical culture.<br /><br />Once you have crossed 200, here is another simple strategy I discovered for getting closer to 250 in the SSST:<br /><br />Do one arm swings (always do one arm swings when training for the SSST) with a heavier bell. For men, mix it up with a 32kg and a 40kg. For shoulder stability and more core and conditioning work, do Turkish getups with a 32kg and a 40kg. If you can do 200 in the SSST but want more, try this simple 3 day program:<br /><br />You’ll be doing two medium days (there are no easy days because you are a stud now), and one balls out heavy day. Depending on how you feel, use either the 32kg or the 40kg for swings and get-ups. Depending on how you feel, do 5-10 minutes of TGUs, alternating sides with each rep, rest for a minute or two, then do 5-10 minutes of one arm swings. On a heavy day, shoot for 300 one arm swings in 10 minutes with the 32kg or 200 with the 40kg. It won’t happen most likely, but those are the numbers you should measure yourself against. On the heavy days for TGU, aim at not taking breaks between reps, which shouldn’t be hard at all for the first 5 minutes or so with a 32kg. When you get closer to 10 minutes, it gets difficult to not take a brief breather. So 10 minutes of continuous get-ups with a 32kg should be your measure on the heavy day. Don’t use the 40kg for get-ups or swings on the heavy day. The 40kg is used on the medium days to make the 32kg feel lighter on heavy days. So do your best with the bulldog on a medium day, but don’t do anything stupid. That thing is heavy. As a general rule, anything over 100 one arm swings in 5 minutes with a 40kg is pretty good. 5 minutes of more or less continuous TGU reps with the 40kg is pretty good. But again, the 40kg is used to make the 32kg easier to handle on heavy days, so don’t get bogged down with your 40kg numbers as much.<br /><br />Do this for a month or two and then pick up the 24kg for an SSST. That thing will be feeling nice and light. If you are in the 260-300 range with one arm swings with a 32kg and you can do 8-10 minutes of continuous TGUs with a 32kg, then you have the conditioning and shoulder stability requisites to truly kill the SSST.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/kkb009.html?apid=sandyrkc61">ETK KB/Book/DVD Starter Kit Found Here for men:</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/kkb010.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Starter Kit For Ladies:</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kettlebellkettlebells.com/?apid=sandyrkc61">KBs Only:</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b33.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Book Only:</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-79826979975960228442009-07-02T07:42:00.000-07:002009-07-02T07:52:38.482-07:00Snatches Followed By Power To The PeopleI did 100 snatches to get the juices flowing and felt quite good doing them. Easy pace and I'm happy that snatching hasn't pulled a callous in almost a year. Nice:)<br /><br />Second session of PTTP cycle. If you want to really understand what "Hard Style" training is then <a href="www.dragondoor.com/b10.html ?apid=sandyrkc61">read this book</a>. It is a masterpiece. Clear and concise it flat out rocks.<br /><br />So I followed the book and did dead lifts today as well as Barbell Side Presses. I feel like I could blast through a brick wall.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-63153500587969732582009-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:002009-07-01T10:08:13.674-07:00What is Hard Style Strength And How Does It Work?According to the RKC Instructor Manual, "Hardstyle Strength is exemplified by power lifting and Okinawan karate. The common denominator is <strong>COMPRESSION</strong>."<br /><br />We compress the muscles as force is produced through tensing.<br /><br />We compress the breath as extraordinary intra-abdomincal pressure increases your strength. Think of a can.<br /><br />We compress the ground to create amazing stability and take full advantage of the reactive force of the deck. Th goal is to take root.<br /><br />And finally we compress our focus. Think of the difference between a laser and a light bulb. Try a static dead lift until you feel your feet burn.<br /><br />Many folks have asked me to define "Hard Style" and the above is surely better than anything I can come up with. <br /><br />So how does it work? Well for me it's worked like this. I am leaner, stronger, more mobile, more flexible and have great cardio conditioning. Remember, I'm 47 but am at least as fit as when I played NCAA football. And I feel a ton better.<br /><br />I use three tools. An Olympic bar, a pull up bar and kettlebells. Pretty basic. I do squats, dead lifts, tactical pull ups, side press,clean and press, snatches, swings and Turkish Get ups. Each is a compound exercise. <br /><br />I use maximal speed both up and down in the quick lifts like snatches, cleans and swings. We go all out for two reasons. First, your hips store tons of power on the way down on a swing and when you explode back up it is like letting a pulled rubber band go. Second, you get good training effect without a huge volume. Anyone who tells you that they are swinging a 32 KG kettlebell for 300 reps non stop is not employing Hard Style technique.<br /><br />Doing grinds like the squat, dead lift presses etc I go slow and create as much muscular tension as I can. Tension is strength but it is slow. You must practice creating tension on the grinds even using lighter weights or even when doing bodyweight work. If you don't you won't have a chance when dealing with real weight.<br /><br />If you use kettlebells for strength and conditioning you really want to make the lifts as difficult as you can. The goal is to make your chosen sport (life or otherwise) as easy as possible.<br /><br />Hard Style in it's essense is about kinetic linking. Kinetic linkage required that you work multiple joints all at once and is the opposite of one joint exercise. Nothing we do treats the body as collected body parts. The body is a machine and that is how we work it. <br /><br />Again to quote the RKC manual. <strong>"RKC teaches how to focus the scattered energies of the body into a directed all-out effort while minimizing the odds of injuries."</strong><br /><br /><br />I'd love to have you share your thoughts here as well or ask any questions.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-41392128920507580442009-06-30T07:11:00.001-07:002009-06-30T08:48:32.041-07:00Delaware Hard Style By Way Of LAIf you were one of the dedicated ones who made it to Middletown DE on June 21, 2009, then you came away with some amazing new tools for your toolbox. I always have a lot of trouble describing events in detail. Sorry about this inability but I will give it a shot anyway.<br /><br />If you are an RKC and you attended, then you were surely blown away by all that <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/585?apid=sandyrkc61">Doctor Mark Cheng, RKC Team Leader</a>, shared with us. If you had never been exposed to "Hard Style" training then you may not fully appreciate yet what you learned. You will. Trust me. Here's a look at the <a href="http://kettlebellslosangeles.blogspot.com/2009/06/coach-al-wood-on-delaware-kettlebell.html">thoughts </a>of one such uninitiated. <br /><br />Doc Cheng contacted me 3 or 4 months ago to see if I'd be interested in helping him put on his <a href="http://www.delawarekettlebellworkshop.com">"Hard Style, High Density"</a> workshop at his Alma mater, <a href="http://www.standrews-de.org/">St. Andrews School</a>. I saw it as a unique opportunity to help spread the work about the RKC on the East Coast, work with Doc Cheng and help out the school since we donated 50% of proceeds back to them. Pretty much a "win-win-win" situation. But it just gets better.<br /><br />First off, St. Andrews School is first rate and reminded me so much of my beloved St. James. I graduated in 1980 and there are many similarities between the institutions. I was happy we could be of financial assistance and we look forward to this being an annual event. I would guess that many of the folks who attended this year will be back. <br /><br />Secondly, Dr. Cheng is really tuned in to proper movements and patterning movement. I truly believe Pavel Tsatsouline himself would have learned something. I learned far more than I bargained for and was humbled a bit by the experience. The RKC system of strength is fairly easy to implement safely but mastery is another entire matter. Mastery may always prove elusive and that is now a wonderful feeling. I hated that thought at first but am fully at peace with it now. I will never, ever stop learning.<br /><br />The focus of this workshop was the RKC Program Minimum. Dead lifts, Swings, Turkish Get Ups. We also did some work with cleans, Tactical Pull Ups and snatches. The focus was all on the foundation that the RKC is built on. Tension equalling strength. Breathing being a huge component of that. If all we had worked on was breathing and creating tension it would have been a worthwhile day. <br /><br />Luckily we also worked a lot on mobility in general. Specifically the t-spine work we did was amazing and has already helped me with my Turkish get ups (which I thought were decent pre workshop) and also has allowed me to really improve my tactical pull ups. Put another way, fairly fatigued a came within an inch of a completed tactical pull up with the 24 KG Kettlebell hanging off my right foot.<br /><br />How about thinking of your body as a can? Without the top and bottom to keep the contents in the container and under pressure it is useless. If you can't create the bottom of the can in your pelvis and the top from the lats down you will have difficulty. But if you can, then imagine the power capability.<br /><br />Everyone who participated learned something. My 69 year old mom learned a ton that will help her move better than she does and she moves fairly well.My fellow RKCs and I learned a ton. I will be stronger, move better, teach better and feel better from what I learned and how far I have to grow. Do you know how hard light dead lifting can be? <a href="http://www.spiralkettlebells.blogspot.com/">Ask Jen Morey</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/1478?apid=sandyrkc61">Sandy Sommer, RKC</a><a href="http://kettlebellslosangeles.blogspot.com/2009/06/coach-al-wood-on-delaware-kettlebell.html"></a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-58679160517711374532009-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:002009-06-29T14:08:09.450-07:00What I Learned in My Week Off From TrainingI took a week off from training and started back today. I did play some tennis and also one round of golf while I was in <a href="http://www.rehoboth.com/">Rehoboth Beach</a>. We had amazing weather and the surf was perfect. Great water temperature and enough of a curl that body surfing was equally good.<br /><br />The last day I trained was at the <a href="http://www.delawarekettlebelllworkshop.com">Delaware Kettlebell Workshop </a>we had at <a href="http://www.standrews-de.org/">Saint Andrew's School </a>on June 21st. I hadn't taken anytime off since I was in New Orleans at the beginning of last June. Here's what I learned:<br /><br />Taking time off for me isn't that worthwhile. I know for many people this isn't the case but I didn't get weaker and I didn't get stronger. My absolute strength work out today was the exact replica of the one I did two weeks ago. Same rep count, same resistance and then the "back down" sets until form denigrates to the point of a repetition that lacks "hardstyle" quality.<br /><br />I was hoping to somehow get stronger while off the kettlebells and other resistance training for a week. It seemed that the extra time off would give me a chance to have extra recovery. Here's what I found for me with "Hardstyle" Training we do enough "Same but different" work as Pavel puts it, that I don't seem to get stale and I seem to increase my strength too. I am rarely if ever sore. Soreness really doesn't indicate the level of work you've done. In most cases it means you are working muscles that you haven't worked in awhile. Since "hard style" work is essentially full body work then soreness isn't an issue.<br /><br />So what is "same but different" mean exactly? Well for the snatch it may mean that after a MVO2 cycle you do a <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/470/?apid=sandyrkc61">Secret Service Snatch Test Cycle</a>. The operative phrase is "Complete a cycle." <br /><br />Or instead of doing heavy swings you could do a cycle of overspeed eccentric swings. Same but different doesn't mean you jump from one exercise to the next. A lot of this is covered if "<a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b10.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Power To The People</a>." This book is an absolute "must" if you desire to understand and implement the RKC system of strength.<br /><br /><br />Please share what you have learned when you take time off from training. I'd love to know what you have found out!<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKC<br /><br />P.S. Be sure to read my take on the Delaware Kettlebell Workshop. I will post that tomorrow.Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-65053961649158499622009-06-18T09:56:00.000-07:002009-06-18T10:11:40.653-07:00Viking Warrior ConditioningI've been working the <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/b39.html?apid=sandyrkc61">Viking Warrior Conditioning </a>for a few months now with some success. I have gotten a lot leaner and my absolute strength continues to rise as well. I practice my strength using the Press, Barbell Front Squat, Pistol, Turkish Get Up and I also do swings for cardio work.<br /><br />The first part of the Maximum VO2 work is getting through the :15/:15 on cadence for 40 minutes. Once you do that you can revisit it at a new, faster count for move to the :36/:36 at a newly determined cadence. The final goal is 35 work sets. Today was the day I had mapped out to hit the ultimate goal. I was only successful in realization that I couldn't do the full session. I had worked up to 28 sets last Thursday and backed off this Tuesday to go for the whole enchilada today. Fail. My grip crapped out and I will finish this upon return after vacation. I am royally peeved. I hope to come back strong after my beach trip and Doc Cheng's <a href="http://www.delawarekettlebellworkshop.com">Delaware Kettlebell Workshop</a>.<br /><br />Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments!<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-83801696261188921892009-06-18T07:05:00.000-07:002009-06-18T07:10:21.899-07:00Benefit for Marines at Camp LeatherneckHello all! The below was forwarded to me by fellow RKC Brian Petty.There is an RKC master Class we are taping on July 11 so if you are RKC and can help with this please contact me. This class tape will be forwarded to Afghanistan for instructional purposes. This is my last blog post for about 2 weeks. I'm out!<br /><br />Friends,<br /><br />It's been almost a month since I left for Afghanistan and it's been quite an experience so far. The Marines are incredible and I'm very blessed to be with them. Camp Leatherneck is a forward operating base in southern Afghanistan, right in the middle of bad-guy country. We're mostly Marines and a few Sailors and everyone is working very hard day/night. Operations are progressing and we're hoping to make a difference here! <br /><br />Spiritually, it's been incredible to see the hunger and thirst for God's Word. We've got Bible Studies going almost every night of the week and many are asking the questions I love to answer the most, like "where will I go when I die?", and "how can I know God personally"? It's amazing to be part of the process and to see the seeds that others have planted over the years grow into fruit producing tree's! I know many of you are praying for us, we feel it many times in many ways. Thank you so much, there's nothing we need more than that!! <br /><br />Some of you have expressed an interest in care packages. If you'd like to send something, I'll make sure it gets distributed. As I was making my rounds the past few days, I asked some of the men what they'd like from home. If you, your business, church, or family would want to do something to support the troops, here's the list I made:<br /><br />1. By far the most popular choice was anything workout related. Marines LOVE to do physical training to relieve stress and they try to maintain HIGH levels of fitness. We've got 1 very small gym on this base and with 10,000 Marines here, its VERY packed 24/7 with VERY little equipment. Some of them have been creative in making their own weights, but its prison style and they make them out of sand-bags, etc. We've got an extra tent that they'd like to make their own gym. They've specifically asked for the following:<br /><br />• Kettlebells!<br />• Jump Ropes<br />• Medicine Balls<br />• Ab Mats<br />• Weight Bands/Resistance Bands <br />• TRX Suspension Trainer <br />• Elite Rings II <br />• Perfect Push-ups/Push-Up Handles<br />• Perfect Pull-ups/Pull-Up Bars<br />• P90X DVDs<br />• Olympic Barbells <br />• Weight Bench <br />• Bumper Plate Weights (rubber coating)<br />• Concept 2 Rowers (rowing machine)<br /><br />They will use just about anything. Many of them like Crossfit, P90X and TRX Suspension style workouts and the above listed items are great equipment options for them.<br /><br />2. Electronics and games: PSP, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360<br />Board Games: Scrabble, Yatzee, Axis and Allies, Risk, etc. Also, dart boards and darts.<br /><br />3. Food Choices:<br /><br />• Gatorade Powder<br />• Nutrition Bars: Clif, Zone, PowerBar, MetRx, etc.<br />• Graham Crackers<br />• Peanuts or any nut related products<br />• Cookies, Chips<br />• Candy<br /><br />4. Misc.<br /><br />• Air Freshener<br />• Stationary <br />• Laundry detergent and dryer sheets<br />• Foot Powder<br />• Socks<br />• Towels<br />• Cigars<br /><br /><br />If you mail it to me, I'll ensure the Marines get it:<br />Chaplain Matt Berrens<br />1st CEB - H&S CO.<br />Unit 40501<br />FPO AP 96427-0501<br /><br />We're trying to get the unit's website updated, so check it regularly for some pictures and more information: http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/div/1ceb/default.asp<br /><br />THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! <br /><br />In His Unfailing Love,<br />Matt <br /><br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-22187544367128168702009-06-15T04:11:00.000-07:002009-06-15T04:31:58.453-07:00What is Sea Wave Training?If you read my blog, then you know that the level of intensity from workout to workout varies pretty wildly. And it's by design. You just can't go "all out" each and every day and expect to really see the gains that you are probably looking for. You break yourself down during a workout and then get strong during recovery. Lots of you may find this hard to grasp. Why wouldn't you? It's been drilled into our heads that hard is better and if you don't work hard then you don't get results.<br /><br />Well working hard is only part of the equation that will end in results. Intelligence in training is often overlooked it seems to me. First you must start with a plan. Each day should be mapped out before your workoout week begins. For example, I know what I am doing today and each day for the rest of the week. The work I'll do this week is the "same but different" as last week. I don't workout for entertainment. I work out to get fitter and stronger so the rest of my life is easier. Workout variety is overrated and one way that a lot of trainers seek to entertain their clients. Doing fewer things very very well is the real meal ticket. Folks want results. And there are only a few primal movement patterns. Use them. Each week I do swings, TGU, Clean and Press, Tactical Pull Ups, Pistols, Squats, Renegade lunges, and snatches. That may be too much and maybe I need to pare something. <br /><br />I wrote the "same but different" above. What do I mean by that? I mean that the workout movements really don't vary. I change the volume and I change the intensity in waves. Oleg Chelischev wrote, "The Workload must flucuate like a sea wave: Up and down, from glass calm to a storm." <br /><br />I'm very happy with my fitness level and I'm happy with my progress. Give wave training a chance and I think you will be happy too!Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-91333757946846700442009-06-12T08:49:00.000-07:002009-06-12T09:18:26.942-07:00Why You Must Use A Heart Rate Monitor When You KettlebellA lot of people who read my blog or follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/sandysommer">Twitter</a> have asked why I wear my FT-80 Heart Rate Monitor while I do my kettlebell sessions. Let me preface this post with this: Until I heard Pavel Tsatsouline recommend its use I didn't dream of using one. Marty Gallagher had mentioned to Pavel that they are a required tool for his clientele and when Marty speaks, even Pavel pays attention.<br /><br />Here's why I wear one and why you must as well. How else would you be able to compare your cardio results without the information provided. When you are really fit you can't just "feel" if a workout is more intense, you need to be able to look at the hard numbers to tell for sure. You want to plot and graph average heart rate, high heart rate, Kcals oxidized, intensity, duration and be able to see how you are progressing. How will you know if you don't have the data? <br /><br />If you aren't as fit as you will be in the future then you need it too. Here's why: physical renovation requires patience, iniative, and safety. You really need to monitor your intensity and duration and keep adding to both incrementally in a cardio cycle. I'm here to help you in anyway I can in this regard so please don't hesitate to just ask!<br /><br />Finally, if your business is physical and mental renovation, i.e. you're a fitness pro, and yoru clients are not required to wear one, then you are plain boneheaded. Most trainers have no clue as to what sort of heart rate is being generated during a session. Not only can this prove dangerous if the completely unfit are subjected to high impact jogging, boot camp or other forms of cardio but the information is a real coaching opportunity. Here you can use hard info to show how poor eating habits can completely undo a solid work session. As David Whitley, SRKC, so eloquesntly puts it, "You can't outwork a donut." Well stated.<br /><br />I highly recommend using this tool for you and your clients if you have them. You can't go wrong and it is a chance to really differentiate yourself from the Fitness Nazis of the world. <br /><br />Please leave your commentary here and if you have any ideas for future article please leave a comment. I will be covering "Reverse Engineering Your Way to Success" in the near futture!<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-56455202764370834962009-06-10T06:10:00.000-07:002009-06-10T07:11:05.452-07:00The KettleBack....Product Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVAf3QGzWl__evu5KSl57bbWfr-yDgSqSBpFERhbK0FHM2BaEcCyJXcpw1tKpb6W-BKcw8Gg2fjTUit8jquePK3oO7tmvzTjsrwqzqdFu8l5UcUDvhB4km2Lb2TSitJD5BhnKEJgmT0I/s1600-h/kback.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVAf3QGzWl__evu5KSl57bbWfr-yDgSqSBpFERhbK0FHM2BaEcCyJXcpw1tKpb6W-BKcw8Gg2fjTUit8jquePK3oO7tmvzTjsrwqzqdFu8l5UcUDvhB4km2Lb2TSitJD5BhnKEJgmT0I/s320/kback.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345701180048932210" /></a><br />A few weeks ago I ordered the <a href="http://www.mbodystrength.com/kettleback.html">KettleBack</a> and I wanted to use it a few times so I could give an unbiased appraisal. As you know, I'm very serious about my workouts and the tools that I use. I use the best implement for the job. In my case, I use the <a href="http://www.polar.fi/us-en/products/fitness_crosstraining/FT80/">FT-80 Heart rate monitor</a>, <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/">Vibram Five Fingers</a> and <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com?apid=sandyrkc61">Dragon Door Kettlebells</a>. I wanted to see if the KettleBack would become the kind of tool that I'd be eager to carry in the ol' toolbox. Each tool I use is the best tool for the matter at hand.<br /><br />First off, I was very excited to check out the KettleBack. I talked to both product developers before I ordered it and I was excited by their passion and the effort they put into it before it was ever available for sale. If I remember correctly, there were 9 prototypes tested before they arrived at the finished product.<br /><br />Kettlebells are best used out of doors, in my opinion, and the main reason I was so intrigued with the KettleBack was that this product would truly make any kettlebell portable. Ordinarily I'm not going to rack or farmer walk a big kettlebell more than a 1/4 mile as an example, so most of my beach sessions have been limited to a 16 KG kettlebell. Well not anymore.<br /><br />The KettleBack is really well made and I knew that the construction was sturdy. I didn't need to worry that the pack would bottom out and that I would need quick feet to dodge some iron. All the hardware, webbing, zippers, straps, Velcro and pack itself are pretty much industrial grade. This not a modified daypack. It's a backpack specifically rated to carry kettlebells. It's top rating is 24 KG but I toted a 32 kg kettlebell on a 4 mile hike and it isn't any worse for wear. <br /><br />Here's a overview of how it works. You unzip the main compartment and place your kettlebell inside a foam insert. Once it's placed then you have a horn strap to secure it from the top as well as a bell strap across it. Think seat belt. The area that crosses your back is fully padded with a special lumbar pad. There is absolutely no "bounce" at all when you are on the move. Once you get to your workout venue, it takes about 10 seconds to get the bell out of the KettleBack and ready to swing. Or snatch. Or Press.<br /><br />In addition, there are pockets for all that you need to carry with you. Plenty of room to store on top of the bell. Place for fuel and liquid. Towels. You name it. Very well thought out design.<br /><br />I love the KettleBack and I am excited to use it a lot. I used it last weekend for our D-Day Man Maker session. 50 snatches and then 400 meter power walk with the 24 KG in the pack 4 times. I hiked the other day. The <a href="http://www.mbodystrength.com/events.html">Suburban Warrior Series </a>has some great workout ideas as well.<br /><br />If you like to work with your kettlebell outdoors and want to combine some amazing active recovery type work with your kettlebell session than you should really invest in the KettleBack. It is of quality design and construction and you will be so glad you have it to use. I know I am.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-59443463044843286032009-06-09T18:08:00.000-07:002009-06-09T18:12:01.578-07:00Announcing The HKC, The New Hardstyle Kettlebell CertificationIf you've been on the fence about becoming an RKC certified kettlebell instructor then check this out. Obviously the RKC requires a Full committment. <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/hkc001.html?apid=sandyrkc61">The new HKC </a>allows you to test drive our system of strength without nearly the obligation and fitness rigors. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and answer any questions at all.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-70727943629876313652009-06-09T06:18:00.000-07:002009-06-09T06:34:20.164-07:00The Unbridled Joy of A 5 Year OldToday my son Alexander Peter Sommer turned 5 years old. He is quite proud that he is becoming a "big boy." Last night, Jen and I decided that he needed one more present. Alex is a big music nut and loves all kinds of tunes. So we burned a CD of a lot of his favorites. He has very eclectic taste for a 5 year old.From Tristan Prettyman, to the Jerry Garcia led Grateful Dead, along with Kidz Bop for good measure. <br /><br />When I got home from training a client this morning, I popped the disc into a player without announcing a thing to "the boy," as we call him. First song is a subDudes song called "Papa Dukie and the Mud People." Alex absolutely loves this one and he starts dancing in the kitchen. I had purposefully followed this up with "Hotdog!" from They Might Be Giants. This song is the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme. Again, it's one of his favorites but he doesn't question it. Next up is "All Star" from Kidz Bop. Now he is wondering what is going on. Finally, when "Bare Necessities" cues up he can't contain himself any longer and demands to know the source of this near miracle play list. I had been on the verge of cracking up but as soon as I told him that we had created it just for him his face lit up with unbridled joy. His mom and I got an even better reaction than we anticipated. <br /><br />The next thing he asked was could I do this for him when he is "6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and 10." My plan is to do it for a long time!<br /><br />I share this with you because the simplest things can bring great joy. Don't forget to share. Do it everyday. The rewards are great. I just hope he appreciates his Spiderman bicycle as much as the CD. Amazingly, I'm guessing that by the time he is 10 he won't remember this bike but he will remember the music!<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-92063967929155755012009-06-07T05:55:00.000-07:002009-06-07T06:33:04.698-07:00Learning From The Masters<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvjJebsevktjbFf57OxllQ6n1cM9MIOKmJI24s5kgqbsjJKHdIV447LgKW4CBvTmjnzrJSNLOiXnAvp-uv2X8CBlLs6SOYyWSovSzlixVGghit5o8lgoV46WeuckOe_uyUQzQkewkFEc/s1600-h/sandpav.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvjJebsevktjbFf57OxllQ6n1cM9MIOKmJI24s5kgqbsjJKHdIV447LgKW4CBvTmjnzrJSNLOiXnAvp-uv2X8CBlLs6SOYyWSovSzlixVGghit5o8lgoV46WeuckOe_uyUQzQkewkFEc/s320/sandpav.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344578182746892866" /></a><br />Back in the 1930s, one of the nations most prominent institutions of higher learning abandoned traditional educational orthodoxy and decided that learning from the source was a better alternative than textbooks. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/">St. Johns College</a> in Annapolis MD and later also in Santa Fe NM took a radical step in implementing their "Great Books" program but the thesis of the program was that if you read the Masters then through discourse and thought, you as a student could have a clearer understanding of the matter at hand. For example, Euclid would be considered the source for Geometry and say Adam Smith for Economics. You learn by studying from the real source and then with true critique and thought apply it on your own. No textbooks or secondary sources were allowed. Interesting idea.<br /><br />So what does this have to do with kettlebells? It turns out a lot. A year and one half ago I decided to attend a "certification" (still can't believe that they got away with calling it that) of a kettlebell business. The weekend was not conducive to learning. I didn't learn to design a workout program or for that matter teach any students what I was learning. If you can call it learning. My recollection is that my snatch got a bit better but that nothing else changed much. I was using a secondary source as the instructor; a former Pavel protege. <br /><br />I was still convinced that I was onto something with kettlebells and I reached out to Delaine Ross,RKC and David Whitley, SRKC. Why not learn from the Master they both said? So instead of a watered down and seemingly misinterpreting secondary source I went to the <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com?apid=sandyrkc61">RKC</a>. Or the direct source for Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning. If you are looking to participate in kettlebell sport than the source would be <a href="http://www.americankettlebellclub.com/">AKC</a>.<br /><br />Now I am going to admit something that I've never publicly admitted before. The first certification was physically and mentally much easier than the <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com?apid=sandyrkc61">RKC</a>. When I heard about the RKC requirements my first thought was that it was insanity. I had to do how many snatches? The graduate workout? Yea right. But I wanted it badly and set off on a journey that I'm not sure has a end. The destination keeps changing and I like what I've seen so far on my trip. <br /><br />But I digress. Why study from either Pavel Tsatsouline or Valery Fedorenko? Well why not? They are the two who introduced their time tested methods here in the United States. Do they have a monopoly on excellent kettlebell ideas? No, they don't but if you learn from the Masters than you can ultimately put your own indelible mark on the mastery you've acquired.Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-45337367991542235092009-06-04T17:04:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:06:02.116-07:00The Two Man March:Impromptu Absolute Strength<strong> The Two Man March <br />Impromptu Absolute Strength Seminar</strong> <br /><br />This is from Dragon Door<br /><br /> I've always appreciated the phrasing and musings of jazz critic Stanley Crouch; to wit, "Charlie 'Bird' Parker's appetites dragged him all up and down the street until eventually those appetites killed him." Crouch once wrote a book titled, "The One Man March." That particular phrase was (for me) the very essence of iconoclastic sparseness and for some odd reason passed through my mind as RKC instructor Sandy Sommer and I worked on pistols and presses in my hay-strewn garage gym, littered with stored tools and assorted junk: two men working together to improve specific aspects of sport performance in sparse surroundings on a perfect spring afternoon. Ours was a two man march. <br /><br /> Sandy was seeking my council on the acquisition of additional absolute strength: he already possessed sustained strength in ample abundance; his locomotive-like endurance was a direct result of his complete immersion in all things kettlebell related. Sandy had sculpted a long, lean, lithe physique; one that was (self-admittedly) better now than when he was a college athlete. Thirty years down the road and he can say with complete confidence that he is in better physical shape and condition (at age 47) than he was at age 17. Further, when this guy was 17 he was not some out-of-shape kid, rather he was an elite high school athlete that went on to play football at the college level. <br /><br />Kettlebell protocols adhered to religiously apparently allow hardcore adherents to hold back the hands of time. If you want to grasp K-Bell fountain-of-youth inducing qualities, simply use your eyes and take a hard look at the top national-level RKC coaches and teachers: they all look as if the had been stored in some mysterious, hyperbolic age-retarding time capsule. <br />Sommer stands 6 foot 2 and weighs a rock-hard whippet-like 180 pounds. He is tight and taut and lean with a sculpted face and a decidedly Eastern European look. Eventually it emerged that Sandy was indeed Sandor and of Hungarian stock. Genetically gifted, his father had played professional football in the NFL as a running back for several teams. Sandy was a walking, talking testament to the benefits of applied kettlebell training; particularly for men and women on the wrong side of 40. <br />The sustained strength K-bell protocol has calorie oxidizing, fat-burning benefits that are just now being bought to the forefront - I feel partly responsible for highlighting the lard-melting attributes of sustained strength kettlebell training. By hooking RKC adherents up to heart rate monitors we are discovering just how dramatically and just how quickly body fat is oxidized when adherents subject themselves to prolonged periods of intense iron ball slinging. 700-1000 + caloric burn rates are being routinely posted by hardcore kettlebell slingers in routine, nothing-out-of-the ordinary training sessions. My trainees are routinely registering 15 + calorie per minute burn rates for extended periods of time. <br /><br /> While Sandy had abundant amounts of sustained strength he felt he lacked absolute strength: absolute strength is defined as the ability to push or pull lots of resistance for very low reps. He was open to suggestions and "wanted to get away from continually playing to my strengths." He journeyed up to my home in rural Pennsylvania and we went over ways in which he might improve his brute power. Sandy and I headed to my garage gym and began working on presses and squats. I observed him as he ran through some one-armed presses: I mentioned that he was using the same velocity (speed) whether he was pressing thirty pounds or sixty pounds. I asked this Zen rhetorical question: "Why aren't you pressing 30 pounds twice as fast as you push 60 pounds?"<br /><br />"Well I don't really know - I never really thought about it."<br /><br />I told him a tale about how once I worked with a female powerlifter that subconsciously used one speed to squat. She squatted her 135 pounds warm-ups not one iota faster than she squatted her maximum 200 pounds. She had allowed her body to dictate the velocity at which she moved a barbell. When I asked her to "move 135 pounds significantly faster than she moved 200 pounds." she was unable - she literally couldn't no matter how hard she tried. Why was this? Why was she unable to push a 67.5% payload the slightest bit faster than a 100% payload? Her body was dictating to her rather than her dictating to her body. <br /><br />She needed to seize back conscious control of something she had unconsciously allowed her subconscious to control.<br /><br />Basically her nervous system was saying to her, "Look - when it comes to lifting poundage, any poundage, be it light or heavy, we have a single speed." Her body would push or pull at one specific speed and that was that. It took us six weeks to 'unlearn and de-condition' her 'one-speed-fits-all" push and pull speed. Once she recaptured control of her central nervous system, she able to increase her velocity on the lighter weights and this translated to her being able to increase her velocity on the heavier weights. Eight weeks after she seized back control of her central nervous system she squatted 250 pounds in competition; no squat suit, no knee wraps and no lifting belt: a staggering 25% increase in eight weeks time, a golden payoff. <br /><br />Sandy had a similar problem. His condition was not nearly as ingrained and within an hour we had him accelerating light weights fast and heavier weights faster. Basically, as soon as I brought it to his attention, he was able to correct the situation. In between press sets (single reps only as pushing or pulling once is a learned skill that needs practice) we would squat. His squat goal was to perform a one-legged squat while holding the 106 pound 'Beast' kettlebell. In my opinion he needed a lot more pure leg strength. We hatched a plan that would have him do ultra-deep, pause-rep front squats with a barbell. The barbell front squat is a great adjunct to regular pistol training. The brutish barbell front squat can infuse raw leg power for use in that most subtle of all leg exercises: the pistol. <br /><br />I showed him the front squat basics and we paid particular attention to not allowing the tailbone to rise up first at the 'turn-around' - when descent became ascent; when it was time to arise from the bottommost squat position. <br /><br />He had a terrific, upright, uber-relaxed bottom position in the squat. My idea was to dramatically increase his two-legged front squat poundage. The strategy was to double his current front squat poundage handling ability. If he could push his front squat poundage from low 100's upward into the low 200-pound range, he would double his leg power. This would "convert" into more single leg power. He was able to perform a technically perfect double rep front squat with 115 pounds. <br /><br />Theoretically if Sandy increased his front squat leg strength by 100% (115 x 2 to say 230 x 2) would that provide him with sufficient muscular horsepower to squat the Beast? Add 100% to 62 pounds and you create the hypothetical horsepower to squats 124 pounds. Since Sandy Sommer was a long range thinker, ("I want to squat the Beast by age 50") he had plenty of time to build that critical front squat. <br /><br /> Back and forth we went, alternating explosive one-arm presses ("Instill tremendous tension in the entire body at the launch; think 'speed,' keep tension in the 'off hand,' Press faster!") with paused front squats. ("The tailbone is rising! Keep the shoulders back as you push upward; explode the poundage upward, no bouncing - pause - now push FAST!") <br /><br />He was a quick study and absorbed it all and absorbed it fast. After the workout I fed him beef ribs and raw milk on the deck and answered his questions that were both direct and pointed. He quizzed me about how best to set up an absolute strength program within the larger context of Kenneth Jay's VO2 max program: he was walking a kettlebell tightrope; weaving three distinct approaches into his base "Pavel template." We decided to lump all the absolute strength exercises and the absolute strength assistance exercises together on a single day: train them sequentially, i.e., start with legs, shift to presses before finishing with back - which roughly conformed to the classical power strategy of sequence: squat, bench press then deadlift. I gave him some Parrillo supplements to assist him in adding some pure muscle. <br /><br />Afterwards we had a glass of wine and talked music: he was intimately familiar with a music club scene I had experienced up close and personal for many, many years. All in all it was a good meeting of the minds and I felt as if he might have gleaned a few ideas and strategies that would enable him to move a step or two closer to his kettlebell goals.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer writes....<br /><br />I've always had better than average sustained strength and durability. As crazy as it may sound, I was usually at my best in sweltering August heat, in full football pads. My ability to focus in that sort of environment, while others wilted, was and remains a source of pride. To this day, I prefer sweating my butt off in a workout, in as much heat as I can stand, to the alternative.<br /><br />I wasn't sure if I'd be able to stand Marty Gallagher's heat. I've read his Dragon Door blog every few weeks and have read and then read again "The Purposeful Primitive." To say he is knowledgeable about strength and conditioning, nutrition, human psyche and the puzzle that each of those pieces fits into would be an understatement. So when I emailed him with a few questions I wasn't even sure if I'd hear back from him. But I did and his response was quick and valuable. I wrote back and we ended up talking on the phone a time or two before he invited me to come train in the hills of Pennsylvania. Before the invitation was even fully offered, I'd accepted and couldn't wait. <br /><br />Uh oh, I thought. This guy is a plethora of strength information and while I'm in good condition, I'm not the world's strongest man. Far from it. What if he feels like he's wasting his time etc? Why would he accept me as a client? All these questions were going around in my brain. <br /><br />My fears it turned out were unfounded. I had very specific goals that I shared with Marty early in our conversations. I explained the specific outcome I will achieve and the time frame within which I will get it. When I showed up he didn't laugh or chuckle replaying our chats in his head so I felt a bit better. Marty was extremely hospitable and we sat down to talk and make sure we were on the same page. After that we went to work. <br /><br />Marty evaluated my performance in two movements. First, he examined my front squat and then he looked at my Press. Marty doesn't mince words. He tells you what he thinks and is very clear. Liked the squat although my tailbone was a bit jumpy and thought there was a lot of room for improvement in the press. It seems that my press was pretty much the same velocity at one weight then that weight time two. <br /><br />We worked these two movements over and over with adequate rest. Marty is a great coach. He urged and cajoled me to focus on what he was teaching. I'm a fairly quick study and a decent athlete so what he shared I was able to digest and utilize. I learned a ton that I applied to my first MG Absolute Strength Session today. I felt power and I felt resolve.<br /><br />After that session, I have no doubt I will get the results I am looking for. It's a fairly simple plan (not easy) but we figured out how to get me to my goals... We determined where I am currently and then mapped it all out. I am fully determined and will give no quarter in my quest. I thank you Marty.<br /><br />In need of a little 'absolute strength?' contact Gallagher about becoming a 'phone train' client at... <br />mgso@embarqmail.comSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-21161135138783222862009-06-03T13:58:00.000-07:002009-06-03T14:39:47.307-07:00Who Needs Shiny Objects? We Have Kettlebells!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgCMO39LP-kX5zOnIYvAOe5mjY7Z6kknWuvNsijGYh71GUdOU9Nj9tOLPM74Ce86pLr1ApUNFRqHizJI0KWXBh7DK73gaJbzkolQ7LjcV4BPYZ5zE122Rhs8Y8Etzornh2FGnUTcT4GA/s1600-h/239sommer7.30.08.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgCMO39LP-kX5zOnIYvAOe5mjY7Z6kknWuvNsijGYh71GUdOU9Nj9tOLPM74Ce86pLr1ApUNFRqHizJI0KWXBh7DK73gaJbzkolQ7LjcV4BPYZ5zE122Rhs8Y8Etzornh2FGnUTcT4GA/s320/239sommer7.30.08.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343219225260391074" /></a><br />I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to the latest, greatest stuff. It's fun to try out something new and variety is said to be the spice of life. To be truly skilled though in anything that we need to be well schooled in the basics. To paraphrase from the <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/author_workshops.html?apid=sandyrkc61">RKC</a> instructors manual "the difference between the elite and the merely able, is that the elite do the fundamentals to perfection."<br /><br />Interesting. Yet I get emails all the time wondering about why my workouts don't seem to have much variety in them. All I am interested in is results. I'm not in the entertainment business for either me or my clients. My business is physical and mental renovation. So we focus on the Swing, Turkish Get Up, Clean, Military Press, Tactical Pull Ups, Pistol, Front Squat and the Snatch. I will throw in a few other things from time to time that are body weight or kettlebells but what you see is what you get.<br /><br />I was talking to <a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/585?apid=sandyrkc61">Dr. Mark Cheng, RKC Team Leader</a>, today and his focus on the RKC fundamentals is like a laser. And why wouldn't it be. If you want to move well and with power than kettlebells are likely your prescription. Speaking of a prescription, check out Dr. Cheng's <a href="http://www.delawarekettlebellworkshop.com">Delaware Kettlebell Workshop</a>. It will prove to be a great opportunity to learn from one of the best. To give you an idea, about half of the enrollment is RKC certified, yet a complete neophyte will be comfortable and learn enough that they will be more than competent.<br /><br />It is quite simple...I didn't say easy, I said simple. I can help someone reverse engineer almost any goal or, if it isn't realistic or is too easy, then I can help them come up with something better. To complete a physical renovation goal you really need to be able to quantify where you are now and where you want to be. <br /><br />Next time, I will share with you a lot of my thoughts on reverse engineering. Trust me it works.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/1478?apid=sandyrkc61">Sandy Sommer, RKC</a>Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-18668314973762886272009-05-31T19:03:00.000-07:002009-05-31T19:22:19.607-07:00On Kettlebells and Benchmarks and Goals and SuchWhy do we work out? Do you know?<br /><br />If not, then you are like most of the people who are out there struggling to get more fit. As an example, "I want to get stronger" is not a goal. "I will do 100 snatches in five minutes by July 1, 2009 " is a goal.<br /><br />Goals are important to the success of any endeavor. I mean how can you do something if you don't know what you want to do. Right?<br /><br />We need goals for each workout. Goals for life. Goals for love. Short term goals. Medium ones etc. etc. Sunday drives with no particular destination are surely nice from time to time. But every day?<br /><br />The start of a workout is not the time to decide what you are going to do. You really ought to consider trying to create your workout the day before. You should know what you will do and then do it. Folks who have no goals before a workout typically don't want to be held to account. Don't be this person. Look, freestyle workouts are great from time to time. But you won't accomplish much if freestyle is your workout of choice.<br /><br />The only way to set up new benchmarks is to keep a workout journal.I find that those who keep a diary are much more successful than those who don't. Write down your results, your state of mind....in short, anything that will impact what you were able to accomplish. And your benchmarks should be realistic for you. 100 snatches in 5 minutes isn't realistic for most of my clients in the foreseeable future. Now 50 in 5 may be good. Benchmarks are personal and need to take into account lots of things. How hard you are able and willing to work? Your age, your sex, etc...all will come into play. The key is to always be improving.Sandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-46182968683025050252009-05-28T07:02:00.000-07:002009-05-28T07:25:52.061-07:00Pennsylvania YesterdayI spent the day in Pennsylvania yesterday. Worked with my trainer to map out how to attack the "<a href="http://106lbkettlebell.com/?__utma=1.1058784843.1240492826.1243465767.1243519625.16&__utmb=1&__utmc=1&__utmx=1.00004512123087167348%3A3%3A0&__utmz=1.1243519625.16.13.utmccn%3D(organic)%7Cutmcsr%3Dgoogle%7Cutmctr%3D%2522beast%2BChallenge%2522%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic&__utmv=-&__utmk=215309592">Beast Challenge</a>," as well as the RKC II.<br /><br />I learned a ton of assistance exercises for my quest.<br /><br />We worked on bodyweight squats, front plate squats, kettlebell goblet squats and deep ass to achilles front barbell squats. Legs aren't sore at all today but I am well aware that they were worked yesterday. <br /><br />Also worked on better pressing explosion. Think speed is what I was taught. Very good lessons followed by a lunch of free range beef, raw milk, root vegetables.<br /><br />Today, the speed translated into additional power on my 36 KG kettlebell press today. Did 6 sets of 1 rep, failed on 7. Still, I was strong.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-49141841898536836742009-05-27T05:15:00.000-07:002009-05-27T05:58:24.306-07:00Why Kettlebells May Not Be For YouA lot of people have asked me what the big deal is with kettlebells. Really there is nothing magic about them. Unfortunately (or fortunately) they are the latest and greatest fitness fad and I see all manner of folks who go out, buy a kettlebell and for most of these people the kettlebell is about to become an expensive doorstop that joins the clothes hanger that was supposed to be a treadmill. You get the idea.<br /><br />Effort equals results over time. If you want to lose fat you need to oxidize more calories than you consume. If you want to press a lot than you have to press often and a lot. But for most of us, we read this "Lose 12 inches in 12 days" crap and they get frustrated. Deep down everyone who wastes money on these programs knows its bunk but when they buy it and nothing happens except a thinning of the wallet than they can blame the "wallet thinner" and not take any of the blame themselves.<br /><br />Kettlebells may not be for you if you aren't willing to pay a price. If pilates, yoga, dumbells, barbells, machines etc haven't been for you then don't waste time with kettlebells. The price can be heavy. I work my butt off and I get results. Now, I'm not you and you're not me so don't misunderstand me here. Check it out though. I reverse engineer everything I do. I write down my goal and when I want to accomplish it. Then I figure out what I need to do in the meantime to get it done. Just mapped it out for the next 12 months. Did it yesterday. I mapped out rest (thanks <a href="http://strongsarah.com/">StrongSarah</a>), work, results. I have it all wrapped up in a neat little package. What are the chances of success? Pretty good. <br /><br />Now I am pretty crazy so don't mistake what I've done for what you should do. Just keep it in mind. That's all. It's simple and hard. Not easy but worth it. What price are you paying?<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-40260624902576451672009-05-26T16:37:00.000-07:002009-05-26T20:30:31.522-07:00Viking Warrior Conditioning and Low Volume Pistols<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmssgcwcqN2dFnumDieq_m-gb5BK-hmrA3AJqNytGRNJ_Oly2dSRhJddzkXCRL7dZZ0VRUb3V8pTBFgC29FpYeiClTlCaNRr6QyGUYG4kr4IpuSr_9uS9bxivRUVXF4exi4ui2C39DNlE/s1600-h/sss.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmssgcwcqN2dFnumDieq_m-gb5BK-hmrA3AJqNytGRNJ_Oly2dSRhJddzkXCRL7dZZ0VRUb3V8pTBFgC29FpYeiClTlCaNRr6QyGUYG4kr4IpuSr_9uS9bxivRUVXF4exi4ui2C39DNlE/s320/sss.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340340871433046050" /></a><br />Great day today. Hit 100% of plan on both the Viking Warrior Conditioning as well as the Low Volume Pistol session that I did prior to the VWC protocol of 36 seconds on and off. <br /><br />I felt great during the workout. Excellent drive on the pistols and the snatches. Feel a bit worn now. I haven't taken off any time from workouts since last June. Planning on a week off after Father's Day.<br /><br />I will succeed at getting to 35 work sets on my new VWC protocol June 18th. In the meantime, I will continue to add work each session. Also, I'm in the process of reverse engineering my Beast Challenge Success.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3628101347853339953.post-20835638152530321462009-05-25T17:04:00.000-07:002009-05-25T17:34:52.093-07:00Memorial Day Weekend WorkoutsI went to <a href="http://www.rehoboth.com/">Rehoboth Beach Delaware </a>to spend the weekend with my family. We had great weather and a wonderful time celebrating those who have given their lives for our country. <br /><br />I played tennis each morning and was a bit surprised by the Heart Rate Monitor results for tennis doubles. We played for 2 hours each day from 9 AM to 11 AM. I was going through 900 + calories in that time frame. AHR was around 64% and max was 91%. Not bad at all and we had a blast. I am so much faster and quicker than pre-kettlebell. <br /><br />My kettlebell workouts were (as always) based on the Viking Warrior Strength Practice and Conditioning Program. I'm getting amazing results in raw strengthm, sustained power and cardio conditioning. <br /><br />Saturday, before we played tennis I did my low volume tactical pullups and hit 100% of goal so I was happy. Didn't feel quite as strong as I hoped but hit the numbers. Late afternoon was when I had planned my first new Viking Conditioning Workout. By new I mean that I moved to the :36/:36 protocol. 35 work sets is the goal and I didn't hit that the first time out but I felt pretty good. My grip fell apart and I can't wait to do this on Tuesday again. Keep in mind that this was done after pullups, two hours of tennis and a full beach day of surf and sand so I wasn't all that unhappy.<br /><br />Sunday was just a tennis day but today was tennis this morning and then I did high volume presses this evening when we got back from the beach. I hit 100% of goal and felt stronger than ever. Really a great workout. Did 15% more work than last Monday and I didn't it in 85% of the time. So it was way solid.<br /><br />Sandy Sommer, RKCSandy Sommer, RKChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11742240537589566757noreply@blogger.com0