We've launched the new forums! Read more here

2015 Fitness and Working Out Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Trevor68 said:
Has anyone done two arm kettle ball swings? After doing them for about a month, i feel my core to be so much stronger tham when i started. I am pumped for golf season to start to test this newfound strength!
If you have done them before, who much weight do you use? I have heard that 1/3 of your weight is the ideal amount? How many sets/reps do you do?
Click to expand...

Sport kettle-bell is done with two bells for the clean & jerk. It's pretty cool; a friend of mine is a kettle-bell athlete. The weights involved has more to do with your pace when it comes to competition. They don't care how much you weigh, they care about how much the bell weighs.
 
Trevor68 said:
Has anyone done two arm kettle ball swings? After doing them for about a month, i feel my core to be so much stronger tham when i started. I am pumped for golf season to start to test this newfound strength!
If you have done them before, who much weight do you use? I have heard that 1/3 of your weight is the ideal amount? How many sets/reps do you do?
Click to expand...

EaglevsFalcon said:
1/3 of your body weight seems high. I like high rep/ low weight for core work so I do 15 reps with a 20lb bell in a 3-4 exercise circuit of 3 rounds. Proper technique is really important though. Easy to throw your back out or pull a muscle if you aren't doing them properly.
Click to expand...

I really am a huge fan of kettlebell work - I've been working out at a gym that's pretty kettlebell focused for the past 3 years, and probably do two of my four workouts a week exclusively with kettlebells.

If we're talking about the hardstyle two arm swing (ending at shoulder height - overhead is a back injury waiting to happen), about 1/3 of your body weight is ideal from a power generation standpoint, but is likely heavy to start out with to get good form. Here's the guidance from StrongFirst on kettlebell choice: http://www.strongfirst.com/faqs/which-kettlebells-should-a-man-start-with/. For me, the weight I use depends on reps and what else I'm doing. For high rep sets (15-20+) I work with a 24 or 28K (I weigh 155-160ish), but we'll do other circuits where I'll work with bells of various sizes and these can range from 20K to 48K depending on what we're doing. Usually we get a few hundred swings in a night between single and double arm work (snatches, cleans, etc). For single arm work I pretty much live between 20-28K.

They're such a great tool to put together a workout that you don't need much space for - we've got a set of kettlebells at home for days we can't go to the gym, and they take up no space whatsoever. If you're interested, I find the community is extremely helpful, and it would be worth finding someone to work with and make sure your form is good, as was mentioned above. You can also get other exercises to add in as well.
 
2 mile jog at 11:50 pace.

Maybe can do more length, thinkin I'll try 2.5 again tomorrow if I run.
 
blugold said:
What's your programing like? What are your goals?
Click to expand...

I honestly have no programming. My goal? Lost some weight, stay active.

Going to sit down with a buddy this weekend I believe and start putting together a routine I can go through.

Did my first attempt at a leg day today, mainly just a ton of squats..... I can barely move LOL.
 
braddman19 said:
I honestly have no programming. My goal? Lost some weight, stay active.

Going to sit down with a buddy this weekend I believe and start putting together a routine I can go through.

Did my first attempt at a leg day today, mainly just a ton of squats..... I can barely move LOL.
Click to expand...
If you think you can't move now, just wait until Sunday.
 
For most, 2 days later is the beast. That's when delayed onset muscle soreness peaks. I have had it so bad that I couldn't go from sitting to standing in one motion and I've been so sore that sitting on the toilet was like having a near death experience. The good news is that it typically only gets that bad after the 1st time you've exercised that muscle group in a while. The best way that I've found to keep it from getting too bad is to do a light workout using the same muscle group tomorrow. It will be extremely uncomfortable at first, but gets a bit better as you go on and really helps the next day.

It's just something you have to deal with when you work muscles hard that haven't been used like that before or in a long time.
 
People differ it seems when recuperating. I am always Way more sore the 2nd day after a hard workout.
But I have met a lot of people that say they get it worse the very next day.
 
Barberakb said:
People differ it seems when recuperating. I am always Way more sore the 2nd day after a hard workout.
But I have met a lot of people that say they get it worse the very next day.
Click to expand...

For me, it depends on the exercise. I feel like legs are worse a couple days later. For the folks just starting out - it definitely gets better, and you learn to love the feeling. Keep it up!
 
Trevor68 said:
Has anyone done two arm kettle ball swings? After doing them for about a month, i feel my core to be so much stronger tham when i started. I am pumped for golf season to start to test this newfound strength!
If you have done them before, who much weight do you use? I have heard that 1/3 of your weight is the ideal amount? How many sets/reps do you do?
Click to expand...
Kettlebell swings are an excellent conditioning exercise. Not necessarily a good pure strength builder. But a good conditioner.

With that in mind, 1/3 BW is very high for a swing. Whatever allows for a high rep count. There's nothing in the movement that will build a lot of strength that you need that much weight.
 
blugold said:
Kettlebell swings are an excellent conditioning exercise. Not necessarily a good pure strength builder. But a good conditioner.

With that in mind, 1/3 BW is very high for a swing. Whatever allows for a high rep count. There's nothing in the movement that will build a lot of strength that you need that much weight.
Click to expand...

Agreed - I believe the 1/3 BW was from a study using force plates and looking at power generation. For conditioning, something heavy enough that your arms don't get involved but light enough so that you can keep going is ideal.
 
mpeterson said:
Agreed - I believe the 1/3 BW was from a study using force plates and looking at power generation. For conditioning, something heavy enough that your arms don't get involved but light enough so that you can keep going is ideal.
Click to expand...
For power generation, unless the trainee was more advanced in age, I would never recommend swings for power. Too many other, better, lifts
 
Been eating better (counting calories) and walking more. Haven't had soda since Christmas so that has helped. Down 10lbs and have 10 more to go.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
blugold said:
For power generation, unless the trainee was more advanced in age, I would never recommend swings for power. Too many other, better, lifts
Click to expand...

Definitely the case - you'll even see most KB workouts consist of mostly the single arm movements (though I love the 2 handed swing as something to throw in for conditioning after lifts). I was just pointing out what where the 1/3 number as "ideal" came from. And while I think kettlebell workouts are my favorites of the week, I'm not sure I'd build an entire program without the bar and dumbbells.
 
mpeterson said:
Definitely the case - you'll even see most KB workouts consist of mostly the single arm movements (though I love the 2 handed swing as something to throw in for conditioning after lifts). I was just pointing out what where the 1/3 number as "ideal" came from. And while I think kettlebell workouts are my favorites of the week, I'm not sure I'd build an entire program without the bar and dumbbells.
Click to expand...
I like that we are on the same page.
 
Squats, military press, and 3 isolated tri exercises tonight. Went up in weight on squatting and feel it already... Looking forward to tomorrow's workout
 
After swearing off lessons after a disappointing early experience, on a whim I signed up for a single lesson from a local Titleist Performance Institute certified instructor today.

My experience today was absolutely amazing!

Im definitely not saying that all TPI instructors would be this good, but my limited experience thus far was extraordinary.

He worked with my swing. He's proceeding at my pace ('you don't need another lesson until you feel comfortable with what you learned today'). There was no sales pitch.
 
I've been sick for the past two days - flu/maybe cold. Today I woke up & decided "screw it, I'm working out anyway." Just felt like the less I move, the worse I feel, and the headache/body aches were pretty much gone - just completely stuffed up. Did another HIIT on the treadmill: 8.5 mph (60 sec)/4.0 mph (60 sec), 9.0/40, 9.5/4.0, 10.0/3.7, 10.5/4.0. Still feel like sh!t, but at least I got some exercise in.
 
Went back to an old pulling routine today. Deadlifts, one arm dumbbell rows, pull ups, cable face pulls, ez bar curls, and dumbbell hammer curls. 4 sets of 8-10 reps (except deadlift was 3x5) 80%max rep. Feeling great so far.
 
TeedUpThoughts said:
Squats, military press, and 3 isolated tri exercises tonight. Went up in weight on squatting and feel it already... Looking forward to tomorrow's workout
Click to expand...
Everyday is leg day. You should be adding weight to the bar every session. Especially with squats. I love reading that you're squatting. Keep it up
 
blugold said:
Everyday is leg day. You should be adding weight to the bar every session. Especially with squats. I love reading that you're squatting. Keep it up
Click to expand...

Shouldn't you be sippin Mai tai's and eating pineapple? Lol thanks for the encouragement, I'm a fan of the squat!
 
TeedUpThoughts said:
Shouldn't you be sippin Mai tai's and eating pineapple? Lol thanks for the encouragement, I'm a fan of the squat!
Click to expand...
I was having coffee looking over the ocean.
 
I don't have kettlebells, but I do have 8 inches of snow to shovel. I used it as a cardio session, moving as fast as I could, and popping my hips to explode up & launch the snow (like the 2-arm kettlebell swings). That was a tough 30-minute workout!
 
My failing with kb swings is that I treat them like a squat. I always have to remember the horizontal component.
 
sudseh said:
My failing with kb swings is that I treat them like a squat. I always have to remember the horizontal component.
Click to expand...
Kettlebell swings are a hinge movement with a snap of the hips. Think of the kettlebell as the wrecking ball, and your arms as a cable. The bell only goes as high as the snap of the hips sends it, gets weightless, then comes back down. For a while you will be scared to death you will be singing soprano. Your hands with the bell should come really close your zipper.

Having been coached by some competitive KB folks that have even trained and competed in Russia it does drive me nuts to see folks at the gym do swings. I think I have seen one person do them right. Most turn it into a squat with a shoulder lift. Like watching someone do a quarter squat and keep adding weight.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top