So, I have a weird habit of taking on (or creating) a smaller project to break up a larger project. It means I basically do “work” as a “break” and is part of the reason I get a lot of various things done in a small amount of time. Many years ago I discovered that I don’t so much need or want a “break”, it’s more that I need a change of subject. A mental flavor changer…* One such project I have right now is for a friend who is very gifted with the tough love and real world motivation. This project has had a very welcome side effect of being very motivating.
Now, I’m a self-starter, always have been, but we can all use some help. This has inspired me to get a little more organized. At the same time I’d been listening to James Altucher’s The Choose Yourself Guide to Wealth on Audible (here’s a free trial and two free audiobooks)
… so it all kind of converged over the holiday weekend. I like that book because it seems to support some of my odd behaviors and life choices. That’s nice for a change.
Anyway, after eating not one but TWO slices of my friend’s gluten free (but not free of anything else) delicious peanut butter pie on Christmas, along with a whole lot of leg of lamb and smoked turkey, I really felt like I needed to get out and put those calories to work the next day. I also wanted to mess with my own head.
Normally, I write workouts that go for 5 rounds and usually one part of that round will be 20 kettlebell swings… I like each workout to usually have at least 100 swings in there total after all is said and done. Though that wasn’t going to cut it for what I had in mind. I wanted to push the boundaries a little – all the “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” quotes had collected somewhere in my body and were snickering about the peanut butter pie which to my credit was made by a NASA employee who is also a triathlete. I will admit that that plus the fact that it was delicious were factors in having that second slice. The other day while doing chores I’d noticed that a random 10 sets of 30 swings was a quick and easy way to get 300 kettlebell swings in… I hadn’t done it for time as it was more like… walk past here, do 30 swings. I’d noticed that a funny thing would happen around rep 20 and rep 25… my mind was in the habit of ending the set and it took some concentration and extra presence to complete the longer set. This happens a little with sets of 50-100 swings, but at that point it’s expected and part of the whole point of it. For it to happen at 30 swings was a surprise.
In the spirit of all that, last night I drove up to the top of a favorite mostly deserted parking garage (its ok, Mom, it’s secure, in fact, security came up to see what the heck I was even doing a couple times) and knocked out the following:
TEN rounds of:
- 30 16kg kettlebell swings
- 40 yard sprint, and jog back
- 5 SLOW strict push-ups (basically using them to deload the grip)
- 5 jump squats (max height… which gets low and sad towards the end HAHA)
With minimal rest and just a few text messages that part was completed in about 25 minutes or so.
Decided to finish up with some loaded carries, that was also a nice excuse to do a one 24kg kettlebell press on each side (choose whatever is a 2-5 RM for you if you want to adjust this to wherever you’re at) while reasonably fatigued. I like to be able to do that press anytime anywhere at least once on each side. So to finish up, this happened:
- Press a 24kg kettlebell overhead on right side, hold the lockout and walk with it overhead.
- Switch hands, press and walk back
- Clean 24kg to rack position, take a walk.
- Switch hands, clean the kettlebell and walk back.
- Pick up the kettlebell on the right side (suitcase deadlift) and take a walk
- Switch hands and walk back.
I finished up with some joint mobility exercises. Good times! 🙂
Do you have a favorite workout that also messes with your head in a constructive way? I’m always looking for ideas to do more of these types of challenges and would love to hear your ideas too.
*Which oddly enough this same concept can be a tool for folks who snack too much – they don’t so much need a big snack, just a small change of flavor… so a small piece of fruit or xylitol gum can sometimes fit the bill instead of a high calorie disaster. Or as my Mom once said to me as a teenager after hearing me open then shut the refrigerator door for what must have been the 1,000th time, “are you hungry or just bored?” Sometimes you just need a glass of water to get on about your day.
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