Awakening the Athlete Within

 

Today’s workout consisted of using a bar bell to use for dead lifts and a pull-up bar which I do not own either one of those equipments so instead I want back to doing 3 kettlebell complexes from Keith Weber’s awesome dvd, The Extreme  kettlebell cardio workout. I did the Man Maker, Upper Body Blast and the Leg Burner for a good 30 minute workout. The most challenging exercise for me to do is the overhead squat for 10 reps. I’ve been breaking it down for 5 reps for 2 sets to still achieve 10 reps. These workouts always leave me drenched. I highly recommend getting this dvd to mix up your workouts. I thinking about getting volume 2 soon. Oh yeah, and still going strong savages!

Day 8/21 Road to Fat Loss

5/21

I’ve just completed the first week of the 3 week transformation challenge workout! Today consisted of two KB complexes and I finished the workout with 3 sets of 200 jumpropes / 15 burpees. I wore my heart rate monitor for the jump rope / burpees sets and reached 157bpm.

Now the hardest part comes, the weekend! I’ve worked out hard and ate clean, I’ll have to fight the temptations of beer and greasy food. I’ll be joining a brewery ride that leaves chicago and heads over to 3 Floyds then to Flossmoor Station. I feel I’m deserving of a beer but I’m not going to go crazy. It will be a success if I have a beer at 3 Floyds and Flossmoor and scarf it down with some good protein / low carb option. To be continued…

Day 4/21

Good workout today, I warmed up In Tabata fashion (20 sec on/10 sec off), performing 8 rounds of walking Darcy swings. These are regular kb swings but you take a step and switch hands when the bell is chest high.

Next was Sequential Dismay looks like this:

• Double Kettlebell Clean x 8 reps Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 5 reps
• Double Kettlebell Clean x 5 reps Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 3 reps
• Double Kettlebell Clean x 3 reps Double kettlebell Front Squat x 2 reps
• Double Kettlebell Clean x 2 reps Double Kettlebell Front Squat x 1 rep

I did 3 sets with 1 minute rest of Sequential Dismay because 1 set was too easy. I finished up the workout with some ab work of 3 sets of 10 floor leg raises with 15 seconds rest in between sets.

Still going strong on the paleo diet. I’ve been eating sirloin steak with a side of squash, onion and pepper vegetables. I’ve been drinking a green smoothie daily as a meal or snack along with Inca berries and dried cherries from whole foods to satisfy my sweet tooth. I know it’s only the fourth day but I’ve already lost 2.6 lbs! I must be doing something right!

Trailblazin’

Today is my rest day from my kettlebell workout program. My calves are still sore from jump roping on Monday so I decided to stretch my leg and log some miles on my folding mountain bike while the sun was out and not snowing in January on this year’s Chicago winter.

I rode 17 miles on the IPP. There was a serious 20+ MPH headwind from the west. On this 48 degree day, the trail felt like riding on quick sand most of the day.

Still keeping on my caveman diet and looking forward to doing my third workout for the week. Let’s beast savages!

Biting more than I can chew

Day 2: Got to admit, I’m trying to do too much too soon. I woke up with sore strained calf muscles, abdominal and shoulders. I’m guessing 200 jump ropes and 15 burpees for 10 sets is a bit too much to supplement my workouts for the kettlebell challenge. I will still be doing the 200×15 workout but on my rest days twice a week.

I did complete my kettlebell training with a warm up of an old-school lead in that consist of swings and planks alternating for 30 sec for 5 minutes. The second workout was snatch practice. I did 6 sets of 5 snatches per arm. 30 sec rest after completing 2 sets. I worked out with a 16kg bell.

Now for the rest of my day, I’m thinking paleo!

Day 1

187.8 lb, 21.2BF, 30.3 BMI, 40″ waist, 42″ naval

Today I started a 21 Day Transformation Challenge by Chronicles of Strength. The Challenge consist of metabolic conditioning and strength training using kettlebells and eating a clean diet. I’m going to eat as paleo as I can. Giving up soda, excess sugar and processed foods. The program is 4 workouts a week for 3 weeks. My goal is to lose 10 pounds of fat. I warm up using A Shot of Adrenaline’s200 x 15 Fat loss workout. It is 10 sets of 200 jump ropes and 15 burpees 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Workouts complete! I didn’t think I was going to get through the 200×15 workout. My calves are burning from jump roping. From now on, I’m going to start the kettlebell workouts first then the 200×15.