Note to self – don’t leave heavy balls of iron in the car overnight in single-digit temps. Makes for a tough hotel room workout when your hands slip and freeze to the handles. Had to stick them in front of the heater to defrost.

I’d checked out the hotel workout room and it was pretty pathetic. Nothing but a small treadmill, an exercise bike, and a multi-gym.

Oh, and a few little “pink” dumbbells.

I’d called the hotel the night before we checked in to get the scoop on what they had and the admittedly unknowledgeable girl said they had some hand weights.

Read more

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #8

3:30 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Workout B
Kettlebell Swings – 36kg x 10 sets of 10 two-handed swings (1:00 rest)

Military Press – Ladders (1,2,3, 1,2,3, 1,2,3, 1,2,3) rounds x 24kg (:15 on/:30 rest)

Snatches – 10R/10L x 5 rounds x 24kg – 100 total (:30 on/1:15 rest)

Chinups – 5 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)

Read more

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #7

6:00 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Workout A
Deadlifts – 325 x 5 (5:00 rest after warmup of 185 x 5, 275 x 5)

Bench – 205 x 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 , 1, 1 (:15 work/:30 rest)

Pullups – 3 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)

38:25 total time

Deadlifts felt good again so next time will move up in weight and go for some triples. Added in an extra ladder on my bench and got two extra reps over the last session.

Read more

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #6

11:30 A.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Workout B
Kettlebell Swings – 36kg x 10 sets of 10 two-handed swings (1:00 rest)

Military Press – Ladders (1,2,3, 1,2,3, 1,2,) rounds x 24kg (:30 rest)

Snatches – 10R/10L – 2 rounds x 24kg (1:00 rest) / 10R/10L – 3 rounds x 16kg (1:00 rest)

Chinups – 5 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)

Read more

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #5

5:15 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Deadlifts – 315 x 5, 5 (5:00 rest)

Bench – 205 x 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (:15 work/:30 rest)

Snatches – 10R/10L – 5 rounds x 16kg (:25 work/:30 rest for each 10)

Chinups – 5 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)

56:55 total time

Deadlifts felt good and added 10# to my bench presses. I’ll work on adding in an extra ladder next time. Finished off the workout from Monday with the snatches and chins. Getting better at snatches but with compressed rest periods it turned into a cardio workout.

Read more

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #4
6:00 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Workout B
Kettlebell Swings – 36kg x 11 sets of 10 two-handed swings (1:00 rest)

Wasn’t feeling well tonight so I was just going to do 200 swings and call it a night. Did 11 sets of 10 and will pick up again tomorrow when I feel better.

It snowed in Chicago over the weekend and was around 13 degrees when I got home tonight, heading for a low in the single digits.

Read more

Kettlebells + Deadlifts – Workout 3

5:15 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Deadlifts – 305 x 5, 5 (5:00 rest)

Bench – 195 x 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (:15 work/:30 rest)

Deadlifts felt good and got an extra ladder of bench presses in. Moving up to 205# next time.

Swing, Snatch, and Grab

Home Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #2
6:15 P.M.

Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total

Workout B
Kettlebell Swings – 36kg x 10 sets of 10 two-handed swings (1:15 rest)

Military Press – Ladders (1,2,3) x 4 rounds x 24kg (:30 rest)

Snatches – 10R/10L – 4 rounds x 16kg (1:15 rest) / 10R/10L – 1 round x 24kg (1:30 rest)

Chinups – 5 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)

Read more

I kicked off the next phase of my Fall strength training program today – Pavel Tsatsouline’s Kettlebells and Deadlifts Part II.

The basic premise is to start with the “sort of max” from the Vodka & Pickles program – mine was 385# – and then plan to hit a double of that in 10 or 11 workouts. Alternate days of deadlifts with heavy kettlebell swings/snatches and at the end of the program test the sort of max again. Hoping to finally hit 405# in that one during the week of Christmas.

Read more

5:15 PM
Vodka & Pickles Workout – “Sort of Max” Day

Today was the final workout of my Vodka and Pickles progression and the day for me to test my “sort of max,” as Dan John describes it. I’d based my deadlifts off a 360 max and I knew last Friday that I was beyond. I ate a ton of food this weekend and took four days off as per Pavel’s instructions and tested for real without all the extra reps at 325. I pulled an ugly 385 on Friday so I was hoping to at least get it a little cleaner.

Warmup
10 Swings – 32 kg

Deadlifts – 360 Max

Read more