Kettlebells and clubs and workout stuff

[1slow]

Dan John 10,000 KB Swing Challenge

I have done the Dan John 10,000 KB Swing Challenge a few cycles. I did it 3 times a week. I will alternate auxiliary exercises These have been: DB overhead presses and pullups, 1 arm DB rows and incline presses.

If you do this with speed and intensity it always sucks, is never easy and gives results.

1st time I did the Dan John KB Swing challenge I used 24kg KB and it took 69 minutes. I worked down to under 30 minutes. I then went to 28kg KB and worked down to under 30 minutes.

For your auxiliary exercises he wants you to use a weight you can only do 5 reps with. When you do 10 swings 1 rep, 15 swings 2 reps, 25 swings 3 reps, 50 swings you are getting 6 reps per round X 5 rounds for 30 reps of your auxiliary exercise and 500 swings.

For example on one cycle my auxiliary exercises were 1 arm DB overhead press with 55 lb DB and on alternate days 1 arm bent over rows with 95 lb DB. After I finished that cycle and went into a power cycle I was doing 1 arm bent over rows 5x5 with a 110 lb DB.

One thing to check swing form.
This is from Either Dan John or Paavel Tsatsouline
Get a short (2' or so) rope, strap or hand towel, thread it through the KB handle, grab one end in each hand.
The rope etc... should be a straight extension of your arms when you are doing your swing. When your arms are parallel to the floor, the towel should be as well.
If the KB is hanging vertically from the rope you are not getting the form right.

If it matters I am 60, 5'11'' 185-190 lbs. Last year I was alternating the KB Swings with The Tactical Barbell methodology. 3 months of one then 3 months of the other.

[JodyH]

I like this non-traditional way of working out more than weights.

For my age, condition and lifestyle I want functional fitness, flexibility and some cardio reserves without dealing with injuries.
Kettlebells, clubs, medicine ball and a heavy bag have worked out perfectly for that and only requires about 10'x10' of my garage for the whole workout and about 3'x3' for storage of everything.
After doing kettlebells, doing normal things like carrying a 5 gallon water jug in each hand from the car to the pantry is effortless where before it wasn't a struggle but I knew I was carrying 40# in each hand.
My back, knees and shoulders are all used and abused but feel better now than they have since I was in my early 30's.
I'm also in as good as or better shape at 47 than I was at 30 when I was climbing 5.13 and racing motocross and mountain bikes.
Of course I do have to be more disciplined on diet and exercise than when I was 30, but it's worth it.

[txdpd]

When I did try clubs, I found the 5lb steel clubs were just too heavy for starters. Someone recommended starting with mini wood bats, a.k.a tire checkers, and those worked well. The balance was a bit off but at $10 a pop who can really complain about that.

[The Apprentice]

I do a simple 100 one handed swings, 10 turkish getups 10 sets of 2 pull ups Tuesday - Saturday. On Sundays I do 10 swings on the min for 60 mins and on Tuesday and Thursdays I get in 2 hours of BJJ drilling then a half hour of sparring. This along with following a strickter diet is helping me on average loose about a pound a week and the best part is is that it is totally sustainable long term. I'm feel fresh the next day ready to do it again. Its all based of of Pavel Tsatsouline's book simple and sinister I anyone wants more info check it out. For my simple goal of being able to wipe my own ass on my last day on earth it seems to be all I need.

[JodyH]

Time to switch it up and get some muscle confusion going on.

New Tuesday/Friday workout:

My "No rest for the wicked" kettlebell workout. The goal is under 30 minutes for the full KB workout (the closer to 20 minutes the better) while maintaining form.

• Swings - 28Kg x 25, 28Kg x 50, 28Kg x 25
• Goblet squats - 40Kg x 8, 32Kg x 8, 32Kg x 8
• Overhead presses - 40Kg x 8, 32Kg x 8, 32Kg x 8
• Deadlifts - 40Kg x 8, 40Kg x 8, 40Kg x 8
• Rows - 24Kg x 40 alternating (20 R - 20 L)
• Snatches - 24Kg x 20 right, 24Kg x 20 left
• Swings - 40Kg x 25, 32Kg x 25, 32Kg x 25

I then finished out with 5 minutes of "arm stretchers", consisting of straight arm hangs on the pullup bar for 30 seconds then immediately switch to suitcase holding a 28Kg kettlebell in each hand for 30 seconds. Repeat non-stop for 5 minutes.
Revel in the massive forearm pump with veins popping out so hard the blood donation people would be fighting over who got to stick me.

[holmes168]

Jody- good workout plan. I am enjoying the kettlebells, mace, and club.

Earlier this week- "this 10lb mace is pretty light, hope I didn't start too low." Second set of ballistic curls ended up along the line of- "this is the heaviest ten pounds i have ever lifted."

[JodyH]

Jody- good workout plan. I am enjoying the kettlebells, mace, and club.

Earlier this week- "this 10lb mace is pretty light, hope I didn't start too low." Second set of ballistic curls ended up along the line of- "this is the heaviest ten pounds i have ever lifted."

Amen!
Clubs and maces are WAY heavier than they first appear. LOL
The great thing about them is you can vary the intensity by how far towards the head or the tail you grip them.

[JodyH]

A wicked mace exercise is the "slow motion spike driver".
You really need to do this one on grass or have an old tire on the ground to cushion things if (when) you lose control.
Pretend you're working on the railroad in the 1800's and driving spikes with the mace, except do it in slooooow motion.
Switch up primary hands every 5 "swings" or so.
We used to do this in the gym with a sledgehammer and it's a killer.

[blues]

A wicked mace exercise is the "slow motion spike driver".
You really need to do this one on grass or have an old tire on the ground to cushion things if (when) you lose control.
Pretend you're working on the railroad in the 1800's and driving spikes with the mace, except do it in slooooow motion.
Switch up primary hands every 5 "swings" or so.
We used to do this in the gym with a sledgehammer and it's a killer.

1800's? My late father-in-law drove spikes (and laid track) for a living on the Long Island Railroad, the old fashioned way. (RIP, Giuseppe).

[JodyH]

1800's? My late father-in-law drove spikes (and laid track) for a living on the Long Island Railroad, the old fashioned way. (RIP, Giuseppe).

Yea... but you're old. So my 1800's estimate is probably still spot on.