Before leaving for NJ/NY last week to train with Master RKC Phil Ross, I wanted to make sure to make the absolute most of the training time up there, so over the past few weeks I had ramped up both my strength endurance activities, as well as generally the high intensity cardio (heavy swings, sprawls*, Ultimate Sandbag drills like rotational lunges, and things that nearly have me falling on my face like a whole bunch of kettlebell snatches then a quick lap around a track x4 etc).
I’d also been careful to maintain my level of skill and motor memory for items like the pistol – both weighted and unweighted of course, along with reasonably heavy overhead pressing. Admittedly I have not been paying very close attention to overhead kettlebell presses right now as usual, but that tends to get cycled in and out of whatever’s going on as necessary. On a day that wasn’t earmarked for a real lung-scorching outdoor workout, it was time to review the skills.
The below workout is nothing new, and I’m not even sure who to attribute most of it to. But it’s a double kettlebell circuit to be completed with snatch-test weight kettlebells. (For me, that’s a pair of 14kg kettlebells as I’m currently weighing in at–beastly for 5’3.5″–132-135lbs at the moment. I’m also growing fingernails at “werewolf speed” due to eating a whole lot of incredibly delicious organic pastured eggs. So if you want some nice strong nails, go get some of those. I am having to trim my nails regularly otherwise my typing speed suffers.)
Also wanted to continue to work on my shoulder mobility which while it isn’t a problem, is certainly not what I’d call ideal. It’s hovering between “usefully tight” and “slightly restrictive.” So, adding some drills at the end of the session and to my regular practice has been necessary. Unlike many women, I don’t seem to have any hypermobility going on, so if you show me a “cool yoga photo” sometimes all I can see is elbows and knees going backwards, or ribcages moving in ways I don’t fully comprehend. Joint mobility is a very interesting thing, and I’m striving for a balance that is pretty much the bare minimum needed for powerful but aesthetic movement while not losing strength or providing the opportunity for injury.
While “can’t” really isn’t a word in my vocabulary, I can with all confidence tell you that “contortionist” is not on a list of realistic future careers. It is important to be free of restrictions in the movements necessary for any sports, hobbies, activities, to allow for good posture, and a real (but weird) priority in my own life which is to move in such a way that expresses power.**
Tangents aside, and with an advanced friend who also wanted to practice the basics but with double kettlebells, we did the following:
Joint Mobility warm up — the one in the new book from Max Shank, Master RKC is just fantastic by the way. Warmup continued with a quick set of 20 two hand single kettlebell swings, nothing dramatic.
Then we did this circuit three times without putting the kettlebells down during each round:
- 5x double kettlebell swings
- 5x double kettlebell cleans
- 5x double kettlebell presses
- 5x double kettlebell front squats
- 5x snatches (done each side at a time, not as doubles)
Then with a single kettlebell (sticking with the 14kg) we did 10 get-ups, while alternating sides.
Finally this interesting little (not so typical) shoulder mobility routine twice:
- 8x TRX “T-Deltoid Fly” which can also be done with gymnastic rings. Arms are straight out in front as the body is held ridged, and at an angle to the ground (think standing plank), then using the back, and the back of the shoulders (rear deltoids) pull the still straight arms out to the side as to form a “T” shape. At the top of the movement you will be standing. I need to make a picture or video for this…
- 2x Convict Conditioning style “straight bridges” with a hold at the top (this will be when you hear me make a funny “AGGGGHGHGHHGHGHHGH” noise).
- 2x Full bridges, pause at the top and extra attention given to feeling like the arms and knees are moving towards being straight, and with the idea of stacking the chest over the hands/shoulders… at least in my mind.
Finally we had a “crow contest” or a “crow off”: you and 1-4 other people simultaneously get into a crow hold and see who stays up longest! If 2-3 people are playing, winner is whoever gets 5 wins first. for 3-5 people, then whoever gets to 3… or if you’re all beginners, then 5 can work too. Just no excessive fatigue, please!
We finished up with a little more joint mobility and called it a day!
And if you would like to be babbled at about ultra-rare organic pink pearl apples (I cut one open for you), lentil sprouts (can you guess what minerals are more prevalent in sprouted vs cooked lentils?), a business book about managing high-performance creative teams***, and a rich umami-laden way to eat raw kale then watch this:
*Sprawls = term borrowed from Bud Jeffries to describe a burpee with no jump and no push up. I like the term since it’s not gross and has a kind of amusing “macho” ring to it. It also describes what will happen if you somehow don’t manage to jump back up off the floor…
**This is literal and figurative… promise to blog more on it later, as the topic will be extrapolated to the nth degree. 🙂
***Admittedly I sometimes need to “manage” myself in terms of project management, AND almost in the same was as a small team. Sounds strange, but maybe the idea can work for you too?
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