Nice kettlebell session today hitting all three competition lifts – I’ll use a similar format to this in future but just vary the lengths/pace of each set.
OA swing – 20L/20R OALCCJ – 6 mins, 6RPM (switch @ 3 mins) = 36Santa was very good to me this year and left a set of gymnastic rings under the tree. I had a go on them this afternoon – they are are hard work but great fun with it. The extra work required to keep stable when doing the dips really took me surprise, it took me a couple of goes just to hold myself stable.
5 mins HS practice 360 pull (tucked) – 2 x 2Both the planche and handstand felt solid yesterday.
5 mins HS practice16kg OA swing/snatch/windmill (R/L) – 20,1,3R/20,1,3L
16kg OALCCJ – 6 mins, 6RPM (switch @ 90 sec) =18R/18L 16kg OALCCJ – 4 mins, 6RPM (switch @ 2 mins) =12R/12L 24kg OAJ?? – 5R/5L 24kg clean – 4 mins, 8RPM (switch on min) = 16R/16L Nice little complex to warm up yesterday: 20 one arm swings, then a snatch to get it up top followed by three windmills. It got the blood flowing nicely. The 24kg jerk really taught me a lesson about technique. I'm ok on the right side but try and muscle the bell up on the left. That works with the 16kg but I can't get away with it with the 24kg. I need to work on getting a better transfer of power from the first dip into sending the kettlebell up.5 mins handstand practice
Frog planche – 60 sec (12,16,16,16)
Adv tuck front lever – 60 sec (12,12,12,12,12)
5 mins handstand practice
Frog planche – 60 sec (18,10,16,16)
Adv tuck front lever (12,12,12,12,12)
Circuit (four rounds)
Pike push up – 5,5,5,5
Pull up – 5,4,4,4
16kg KB hack squat – 5,5,5,4
16kg KB figure 8 to hold – 20,20,20,20
I love my workout these days, I really look forward to them and enjoy every (painful) minute. My static holds are feeling much more solid. I feel way more comfortable upside down and am holding a freestanding handstand for a few seconds wuite regularly, the safety of the wall is still close at hand though! Planche and front lever are also coming on nicely, it’ll still be a long while until I can hold the full versions but I’m in no hurry and am making progress in every workout.
I struggle with my flexibility in certain areas so my form isn’t great doing front or goblet squats (I think that was the catalyst for my knee issues a while back) so hack squats are back in as I feel much more comfortable doing those. I’m going to start doing Pavel’s Relax Into Stretch to work on the flexibility and then add more variety to my squats.
I had a great session on Friday night. Wife went out for her first 'night out with the girls' since the little one was born. It was great for her and meant I was able to really focus on what I was doing. I even managed to hold a freestanding handstand for a couple of seconds, I think it was more luck than judgement but it still felt pretty epic. My frog planches were a lot more consistent as well. It had felt like ages since I properly did some swings so it was good to get those in, they really are a wonderful (if painful) thing.
5 mins HS practiceIt was tough getting started last night. The little one has decided to start waking up in the night again and it’s knocked me for six, time to give soe solids I think. It would have been very easy to stay on the sofa but I know I’d feel loads better once I got going.
5 mins handstand practice
Frog planche – 60 sec (10,22,20,10)
Adv tuck front lever – 60 sec (12,12,12,12,12)
Circuit (three rounds)
Pike push up – 5,5,5
Pull up – 4,4,4
L-sit – 10/5 sec
Finisher – 10 x 6 count burpee, 20 x 16kg H2H swings – 4 rounds, 6:38
Great leaps with the frog planche last night. I think it is a balance thing, they had been hard but not so taxing that my strength was giving out. Sometimes just placing my hands in a different position can make a massive difference. I want to build up to headstand push ups and doing pike push ups seems like a good starting point, I had my feet on the kitchen side (don’t tell the wife!) and tried to keep my torso perpedicular to the floor. The burpees and swings were a killer, I didn’t even do that many really but they kicked the crap out of me. I’m going to do these on a regular basis from now on, I really felt them in my legs when combined with the swings.
16kg OA swing – 20R/20L
16kg OAJ – 2 x 5 mins, 10RPM (switch hands @ 150 sec) = 100
16kg snatch – 6 mins, 12RPM (switch hands @ 90 sec) = 72
24kg OA swing – 3 x 10L/10R = 60
Last night was my first session since rearranging the way I do my workouts. They don’t actually look much different but instead of thinking of the as static or dynamic workouts I’m mixing everything together – that was pretty much what I had ended up doing anyway. I’ll start each session with 5 minutes handstand work (both wall handstands and practicing freestanding) and my planche & front lever progressions (adv tuck is much harder!). I’ll then do a circuit of an upper body push, upper body pull and a leg exercise. I’ll add other things from time to time but that will be the template.
5 mins handstand work
Frog planche – 60 sec work (8,10,8,15,10,12)
Adv tuck lever – 60 sec work (12,12,12,12,12)
Circuit (three rounds)
Pseudo planche push up (PPP) – 5,5,5
Pull up – 4,5,4
Assisted pistol (r,l) – 5,5,5
Finisher – 24kg swings – 5mins, 15 TOM = 75
Andy lifts and moves 