New Stuff, New Workouts!
Greetings,
This past week, I have been doing some various workouts on the ski machine and with my kettlebells. I also got 2 new DVD's on fitness training education topics, called "Free the Hips!" and "Shatterproof Spine", by trainer John Izzo of http://izzostrengthtraining.com. I watched them both on Saturday and learned a lot of good things about preparing and helping the hips/lower back become better prepared for exercise & sport. A lot of new things I haven't really seen before, actually. If you're a trainer, I'd highly recommend checking those videos out. John really does a great job in presenting lectures on these topics. Shatterproof Spine has both a lecture & practical in it, so its like you are right there in the room to attend that kind of workshop. With me being in ND and there not being a lot of workshops going on in this region, this was a great value to me as a trainer. I got both DVD's for $45 as a combination offer. I can't travel to a workshop & back to the Twin Cities for that kind of cost, so you are getting quite a deal here!
My other gift in the mail this week was Viking Warrior Conditioning, a kettlebell protocol book for improving VO2 Max, by Kenneth Jay. As you know, I LOVE Kettlebell training, and have experienced its benefits first-hand with my own running performance since I first trained with them in 2005. This book covers the protocols that were studied on kettlebell training & VO2 Max efforts, finding out that the Kettlebell Snatch exercise is the best one out there to help elicit a VO2 Max training response for improvement. I first became aware of this book last year, when it was all the rage in discussion forums on kettlebell training sites. I finally got around to purchasing it. (A little tax refund 'gift' for myself!)
On Saturday, I tried the first protocol's workout, since I did the VO2 Max cadence test on Friday to find the number of snatches I'd need to hit in my 15 second work time frames for the first protocol. My cadence test was 28 reps in one all-out minute (which is performed at the end of the cadence test's own protocol), meaning I'd have to get 7 snatches per 15 second work period in the "15:15" Protocol. You basically start out by doing 15s with your left arm, rest for 15s, then do your right arm for 15s, and rest again for 15s. The GymBoss Interval Timer works out superbly for this, I highly recommend getting it at http://gymboss.com ! If you do these protocols, this is pretty much a neccessity, as much as the kettlebell is needed for the workout. I forgot to mention how I used a 35# kettlebell for this test & workout. Most men should be able to start with this weight, women will need lighter ones, such as a 12kg, or roughly a 25# k-bell. I think some have used a 17-18# k-bell as well. Guidelines are provided in the book to figure this out.
The first 15:15 protocol called for up to 80 sets in order to fully complete this protocol. If you get perhaps 20 or so at first, you simply stop when you can't hit your 15 second cadence reps (for me, that would be 7 reps/set). Over time, you gradually increase and decrease your workloads to build up over the course of time to 80 sets, which is 40 minutes total. 20 minutes of that is work, 20 minutes is rest, but with 15s intervals of work & rest, you really feel yourself working the whole time.
My first attempt at this workout had me wondering greatly how I'd hit 20 minutes total, or 40 sets, within my 20-30 set range of the workout. Then, it was like my body hit a groove and I was still going strong after 40 sets had passed. Soon, the 50 & 60 set marks kept coming my way, and once I hit 70, I just KNEW I could hit the end-point of 80 sets with this protocol. I'm not saying this to brag by any means, but with my background of doing combinations of snatches and the clean & press workouts with kettlebells, it was really helping me out with this workout. As you probably know, if you read this blog, you know I do a lot of 20s work, 10s rest intervals with my kettlebell power training workouts. So, 15s work and 15s rest was giving me 25% less work time and 1/3 more rest time each minute.
I did complete 80 sets of this protocol. The guidelines did say I could try it up to 9 reps/set before I move to the next one, but the minimum before advancing was 7 reps/set for the entire 80 sets. I feel I will move onto the next protocol, with the same weight and a new cadence of 36 seconds work, 36 seconds rest, for 35 sets total. The math on that brings it to a 42 minute workout for total time. That might be rough...but doable, if my goals are to improve my VO2 Max to help me hit a sub-5 minute mile. There are even MORE protocols after this, so the progressions are pretty much endless, the stronger & fitter you get.
Don't get me wrong, I will still plan to run & do speed sessions as I prepare for this goal of a sub-5 minute mile. I will just supplement my training with these new kettlebell protocols because they are proven to help improve VO2. I gotta try and use every edge I got, and kettlebells are a unique part of my edge as an athlete. If you read this blog, they should start to become one of your own edge's, too!
In other news, this past week I wrote an article called "That Chart" for http://MakeVarsity.com. The article is referring to a relatively well-known weights/sets/reps chart that has followed me wherever I have been in my journey of strength training & sports performance. In junior high, "That Chart" first surfaced on the scene as the workout chart that everyone used in the weight room at school. It once again not only showed up at my first college, but the 2nd one as well, and later when I returned to my first college as a student strength coach to finish out my education. I came across it once again last week while digging through my collections of programs, and felt it was needed to write a story on "That Chart" and give the basics of it out in the article. I am also thinking of reproducing this chart and creating a full athletic package around it, as something new to work on and provide for people.
So, read all about "That Chart" at http://asapworkouts.com/ThatChart.pdf Please let me know if you know any history or origins of this chart. I have talked with a few people and they are in the same boat I'm in: they KNOW about this chart, but don't know where it exactly comes from! If you have a clue, please let me know!
Til next time...
Run Fast, Run Strong...
Run So As To Win!
Coach Rick Karboviak
http://1MileNation.com
http://MakeVarsity.com
http://ASAPWorkouts.com
This past week, I have been doing some various workouts on the ski machine and with my kettlebells. I also got 2 new DVD's on fitness training education topics, called "Free the Hips!" and "Shatterproof Spine", by trainer John Izzo of http://izzostrengthtraining.com. I watched them both on Saturday and learned a lot of good things about preparing and helping the hips/lower back become better prepared for exercise & sport. A lot of new things I haven't really seen before, actually. If you're a trainer, I'd highly recommend checking those videos out. John really does a great job in presenting lectures on these topics. Shatterproof Spine has both a lecture & practical in it, so its like you are right there in the room to attend that kind of workshop. With me being in ND and there not being a lot of workshops going on in this region, this was a great value to me as a trainer. I got both DVD's for $45 as a combination offer. I can't travel to a workshop & back to the Twin Cities for that kind of cost, so you are getting quite a deal here!
My other gift in the mail this week was Viking Warrior Conditioning, a kettlebell protocol book for improving VO2 Max, by Kenneth Jay. As you know, I LOVE Kettlebell training, and have experienced its benefits first-hand with my own running performance since I first trained with them in 2005. This book covers the protocols that were studied on kettlebell training & VO2 Max efforts, finding out that the Kettlebell Snatch exercise is the best one out there to help elicit a VO2 Max training response for improvement. I first became aware of this book last year, when it was all the rage in discussion forums on kettlebell training sites. I finally got around to purchasing it. (A little tax refund 'gift' for myself!)
On Saturday, I tried the first protocol's workout, since I did the VO2 Max cadence test on Friday to find the number of snatches I'd need to hit in my 15 second work time frames for the first protocol. My cadence test was 28 reps in one all-out minute (which is performed at the end of the cadence test's own protocol), meaning I'd have to get 7 snatches per 15 second work period in the "15:15" Protocol. You basically start out by doing 15s with your left arm, rest for 15s, then do your right arm for 15s, and rest again for 15s. The GymBoss Interval Timer works out superbly for this, I highly recommend getting it at http://gymboss.com ! If you do these protocols, this is pretty much a neccessity, as much as the kettlebell is needed for the workout. I forgot to mention how I used a 35# kettlebell for this test & workout. Most men should be able to start with this weight, women will need lighter ones, such as a 12kg, or roughly a 25# k-bell. I think some have used a 17-18# k-bell as well. Guidelines are provided in the book to figure this out.
The first 15:15 protocol called for up to 80 sets in order to fully complete this protocol. If you get perhaps 20 or so at first, you simply stop when you can't hit your 15 second cadence reps (for me, that would be 7 reps/set). Over time, you gradually increase and decrease your workloads to build up over the course of time to 80 sets, which is 40 minutes total. 20 minutes of that is work, 20 minutes is rest, but with 15s intervals of work & rest, you really feel yourself working the whole time.
My first attempt at this workout had me wondering greatly how I'd hit 20 minutes total, or 40 sets, within my 20-30 set range of the workout. Then, it was like my body hit a groove and I was still going strong after 40 sets had passed. Soon, the 50 & 60 set marks kept coming my way, and once I hit 70, I just KNEW I could hit the end-point of 80 sets with this protocol. I'm not saying this to brag by any means, but with my background of doing combinations of snatches and the clean & press workouts with kettlebells, it was really helping me out with this workout. As you probably know, if you read this blog, you know I do a lot of 20s work, 10s rest intervals with my kettlebell power training workouts. So, 15s work and 15s rest was giving me 25% less work time and 1/3 more rest time each minute.
I did complete 80 sets of this protocol. The guidelines did say I could try it up to 9 reps/set before I move to the next one, but the minimum before advancing was 7 reps/set for the entire 80 sets. I feel I will move onto the next protocol, with the same weight and a new cadence of 36 seconds work, 36 seconds rest, for 35 sets total. The math on that brings it to a 42 minute workout for total time. That might be rough...but doable, if my goals are to improve my VO2 Max to help me hit a sub-5 minute mile. There are even MORE protocols after this, so the progressions are pretty much endless, the stronger & fitter you get.
Don't get me wrong, I will still plan to run & do speed sessions as I prepare for this goal of a sub-5 minute mile. I will just supplement my training with these new kettlebell protocols because they are proven to help improve VO2. I gotta try and use every edge I got, and kettlebells are a unique part of my edge as an athlete. If you read this blog, they should start to become one of your own edge's, too!
In other news, this past week I wrote an article called "That Chart" for http://MakeVarsity.com. The article is referring to a relatively well-known weights/sets/reps chart that has followed me wherever I have been in my journey of strength training & sports performance. In junior high, "That Chart" first surfaced on the scene as the workout chart that everyone used in the weight room at school. It once again not only showed up at my first college, but the 2nd one as well, and later when I returned to my first college as a student strength coach to finish out my education. I came across it once again last week while digging through my collections of programs, and felt it was needed to write a story on "That Chart" and give the basics of it out in the article. I am also thinking of reproducing this chart and creating a full athletic package around it, as something new to work on and provide for people.
So, read all about "That Chart" at http://asapworkouts.com/ThatChart.pdf Please let me know if you know any history or origins of this chart. I have talked with a few people and they are in the same boat I'm in: they KNOW about this chart, but don't know where it exactly comes from! If you have a clue, please let me know!
Til next time...
Run Fast, Run Strong...
Run So As To Win!
Coach Rick Karboviak
http://1MileNation.com
http://MakeVarsity.com
http://ASAPWorkouts.com
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