Put the kettle on.

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

My bodily aims:
Put some muscle on (I don't want to turn into the hulk, luckily I hear I'm unlikely to even if I try). Put some fat on. Be generally stronger.

Specific muscle groups I want to improve: Thighs, abs, shoulders and pecks (in that priority, thighs being the highest).

Equipment: 2x6GK kettlebell.

Current height: about 5ft12
Current weight: 57-60 kgs (or roughly 9 stone)

5 sets of 12 snatches (each side)

5 12 clean press (each side)

5 20 alternate swings

5 10 figure 8 (moving the kettlebell around my thighs) (each side)


No breaks between sets or exercises.

All 5 sets complete however I hoped to do these and failed to even do 1:

TGU-3x20 each side -aborted immediately (last kettlebell exercise in the video below)

Finished with two 6kg kettle bells with 12 squats (in two days time I'll be doing sets of those so I wanted to get a feel for them)

For anyone interest with the exception of the last 2, I followed this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzfEvjVFrmY

On Sunday I'll be doing this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_awUdkBnNU

And yes, it's a rare thing for me to be sweating, and I really am doing right now).

Lets see if I can stick to this, and maybe in a couple of months feel the need for a heavier kettlebell .

Edit:
I didn't do the burpees.

Edit: The videos I'm currently following are the above two and an extra one, they go in this order:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_O1qcWXlck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzfEvjVFrmY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_awUdkBnNU

[thestoatyone]

Looks good! TGU's are quite a technical lift; start working on technique and build up from doing 1 at a time. 20 in one set would finish me off I reckon!

Some inspiration in the mean time...

[soniczip]

i recently started kb as well. i'm doing something similar, except i'm using 14kgs for the swings, 8kgs for cleans/press/snatch, and i'm doing 3X15 reps.

For anyone interest with the exception of the last 2, I followed this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzfEvjVFrmY

have i read well? burpees: 1 set of 10 minutes??? have you really done that?

keep it up

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

Looks good! TGU's are quite a technical lift; start working on technique and build up from doing 1 at a time. 20 in one set would finish me off I reckon!

Some inspiration in the mean time...

I have to admit to some confusion about what exactly I do, I'm guessing because there are many variations?
Can you recommend one for someone whose never even seen them before?

And wow, that's, wow.

i recently started kb as well. i'm doing something similar, except i'm using 14kgs for the swings, 8kgs for cleans/press/snatch, and i'm doing 3X15 reps.

For anyone interest with the exception of the last 2, I followed this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzfEvjVFrmY

have i read well? burpees: 1 set of 10 minutes??? have you really done that?

keep it up

Oh and no, I kind of missed the burpees out, sorry didn't mean to mislead you, I was going back and forth on the video to make sure I got my technique right, and just completely forgot about them by the end of it if I'm honest.

At some point I'll start doing them, probably not for 10 minutes though, contrary to the mentality of many people who train, I don't hate my body and have no idea to punish or torture it (yet).

Nice weights by the way. I've just got some cheap and nasty plastic kb's, I'm just waiting a while before investing in more, I'm hoping I can skip 8's and go straight to 10's, but we'll see how I feel strength wise later on.

[thestoatyone]

I have to admit to some confusion about what exactly I do, I'm guessing because there are many variations?
Can you recommend one for someone whose never even seen them before?

This was quite helpful to me when I started out.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9979657760

Built up to 32kgs eventually. Need to get back into them, awesome exercise.

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

I have to admit to some confusion about what exactly I do, I'm guessing because there are many variations?
Can you recommend one for someone whose never even seen them before?

This was quite helpful to me when I started out.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9979657760

Built up to 32kgs eventually. Need to get back into them, awesome exercise.

Wait...Should I be locking out my arm, or anything, or always keeping a slight bend?

[thestoatyone]

I'd say locking it once the 'bells pressed out at the bottom. It's more stable locked.

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

I'd say locking it once the 'bells pressed out at the bottom. It's more stable locked.

So when I've lifted it above my head and I'm about to go up onto my arm, my other arm (the one that's carrying the kettlebell) should lock out?

[thestoatyone]

Yep. Gives you one less thing to worry about, and keeps your joints safe. Bodybuilders will tell you it'll mean you're taking the strain off the muscle, but that's not really the point of this exercise...

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

Yep. Gives you one less thing to worry about, and keeps your joints safe. Bodybuilders will tell you it'll mean you're taking the strain off the muscle, but that's not really the point of this exercise...

Excellent, thanks very much:).
What exactly is the point of this exercise? To get the body to work as a whole?

Out of interests should I be locking out on snatches or anything like that? (Currently I'm not doing on any of my exercises, at least until I start doing the TGUs.).

[thestoatyone]

Yeah, although, I'd not worry too much for snatches and the like, just get a feel for the groove. The point of TGUs as far as I can tell is to build up strength and co-ordination through a large range of motion, whilst eliminating any muscle imbalances and improving posture; at the start of as programme is the best time to get into doing them IMHO

[Goob]

I don't hate my body and have no idea to punish or torture it (yet).

That is what I said when I started, but pretty well went the whole other way on it now

Keep it up man, it really is fun once you get into it.

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

Yeah, although, I'd not worry too much for snatches and the like, just get a feel for the groove. The point of TGUs as far as I can tell is to build up strength and co-ordination through a large range of motion, whilst eliminating any muscle imbalances and improving posture; at the start of as programme is the best time to get into doing them IMHO

Guess I'm going to have to kick my own ass tomorrow. What looks to be my hardest training, will with any luck involve some TGU's not in each set, but as a finishing exercise, before doing 5-10 minutes of burpees (provided I can make it for at least 5 minutes).

I don't hate my body and have no idea to punish or torture it (yet).

That is what I said when I started, but pretty well went the whole other way on it now

Keep it up man, it really is fun once you get into it.

If you say so...

Think it's acceptable to do weighted crunches today instead of tomorrow (No way in hell I'm doing actual sit ups)?

[Asleep on a sunbeam]

Today was erm, fun?

5x
12 double swings
12 sea-saw press
12 alternate row
12 front squat
12 double floor press
Then 1x
12-weighted crunch
1.5-TGUs
12-weighted crunch

I say 1.5TGUs because on my first attempt I didn't get my knee down in time when balancing on my hand and foot.
I then fell back to my starting position (fighting as hard as I could not to).
I then managed to do one, but on the way back down I didn't really do it properly.
And then I did a few TGU exercises.

The weighted crunches don't feel strong enough so I'm not sure I'm doing them properly. Where should the weights be, I've been putting them on, well, my nipples, as that's where they're stable. Should I be putting them anywhere else instead?

Or are crunches just difficult to weight?

Also the rows don't really feel difficult. The squats were solid, I could barely do them by the fifth set and had to redo some because the form was so bad. And everything else was difficult, but the rows just didn't do anything, should I try switching to renegades?

Cheers, (a happy with himself) AOAS

[soniczip]

are you following a specific (daily or weekly) program or just trying a bit of everything right now?

i'm still waiting for your (back from hell) 1 x 10 minutes burpees report