High-rep KB and CB Intro Program

[Lumpy Gravy]

A little background info:

I’m an experienced lifter who focused mainly on the barbell Olympic and power lifts over the past few years. I’ve used kettlebells and other odd implements as supplements to main training. After getting my first pair of 15 lbs CB’s recently, I’ve decided to try a cycle that focuses on KB and CB lifts. I never focussed on high-rep KB stuff before, so doing it with the CB's mixed in should be interesting.

Program Outline:

Continue barbell work with very low volume and varying intensity. I’ve decided to do 2 circuits per day/4 days per week of Power Snatches x3; Power Clean & Jerks x3; Weighted Pull-ups x5; Weighted Dips x5. The first set will be a warm-up and the second set the work set. I’ll be waving my weeks. In terms of RPE, one week could be a 3, followed by a 8, followed by a 5, then 9, and so on… I also plan to randomly work in the heavy 1-3 rep range for deadlifts, squats, and bench press on random days throughout the month depending on how my body feels. I’ve been doing this a while and train by feel much of the time anyway.

The barbell work is to be followed by what I refer to as playtime where I’ll spend 10-15 minutes working on various KB/CB exercises that are more complex or taxing in nature.

Playtime will be followed up by a density cycle using the 53 lbs KB and 15 lbs CB’s doing the snatch, mill, clean & jerk, swipe. Each one on a different day throughout the week.

BME’s: I trained GTB rather extensively before, but I feel I missed the message. After getting the Body Flow book and video as well as Be Breathed, I’ve decided to go back and really refine my form and unify it with my structure and breathing. I’m taking a back to basics approach. I'll be spending 30-45 minutes after each Clubbell session working BME's.

All other BWE’s, jogging, biking, swimming, etc will be done as I think my body can handle it.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Monday 2-9-04

Morning-
Barbell Circuit RPE: 3

KB double snatch 3x 5
KB Front Squat 3x10
KB Windmill 3x5
-done in a circuit RPE: 8

KB Snatch 20x5 in 20 minutes RPE: 5

Jogging x 30 minutes RPE: 7

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s Program


Evening-
Frog Stand x 60 sec total
Tuck Front Lever x 60 sec total
Be Breathed (butterfly slow x 10 minutes & pike fast x 50 reps)

[Lumpy Gravy]

Tuesday 2-10-04

Morning-
Barbell Circuit RPE: 3

CB Pendulum Variations
Swing to Head Cast
Iron Cross
-RPE: 6

CB Mills 20x18 (9/9) in 20 minutes RPE: 6
(my grip was fried and even though I only had 10-20 second break between sets, I wasn’t winded)

Squat Creep x 30 minutes

Dragon Flags 3x8
Standing Ab Wheel 3x8
-superset RPE: 7

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s

[Lumpy Gravy]

Wednesday 2-11-04

Morning-
Basketball Pick-up games

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s

Evening-
Frog Stand x 60 sec total
Tuck Front Lever x 60 sec total

[Scott Sonnon]

Excellent reports, Paul!

[Lumpy Gravy]

Thanks. I like this forum feature. It gives me a little more motivation to push myself.

Thursday 2-12-04

Morning-
Barbell Circuit RPE: 4

Skipped KB playtime because my body told me to. ;)

KB Clean & Jerk 20x5 in 20 minutes RPE: 7

Jogging x 23 minutes RPE: 5 (wanted to keep it light)

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s

Evening-
Frog Stand x 60 sec total
Tuck Front Lever x 60 sec total
Be Breathed (pike slow x 10 minutes & pike fast x 30 reps/butterfly fast x 20 reps)

[Lumpy Gravy]

Friday the 13th!

Morning-
Barbell Circuit RPE: 3

CB Playtime:
Pendulum Variations
Casts and drumming
Iron Cross

Clubbell Swipes 20x10 in 20 minutes RPE: 8.5
-My God! This got such a high RPE even though 99% of my body was fine. The meat of my hand right below the thumb was cramping so bad. I was very tempted to give up on trying to get 10 reps/set, but I kept pushing. Finally at set 17, everything subsided and I really felt like I was grooving the movement.

Knee Switch x 25:00 (had to cut it short in order to get a decent swim time)

Swimming x 25:00
-50m freestyle sprints followed by random ab exercise followed by 50m breast stroke or combat swimmer’s stroke to recover. Repeat.
-1 set of 25m over/unders to finish

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness beginner’s (planning on it)

Evening-
It’s Friday! The old lady would kill me.

Weekends are eat, recovery, and have fun time.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Monday 2-16-04

Morning-
Barbell Circuit RPE:5

KB Overhead Squats
KB Front Squats
KB See-saw Press
KB Double Snatches
KB Bent Press

KB Snatch 18 x 6 in 18 minutes RPE: 4 (light as a feather today)

Jogging x 30:00 RPE: 8 (sprint/jog intervals)


Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner's


Evening-
Frog Stand x 60 sec total
Tuck Front Lever x 60 sec total

[Lumpy Gravy]

Tuesday 2-17-04

Monring-
Barbell Circuit RPE: 6

CB Pendulum Variations
CB Head Cast
CB Armpit Cast
CB Side Cast
CB Iron Cross
CB Torch Press
CB Drumming

CB Mills 17 x 20 (10/10) in 17 minutes RPE: 5 (If I do 2 more reps I'll have no rest. I have to get my speed up)

Shin Twist x 30:00

Swimming x 20:00 (same as last friday)


Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner's

Ordered 25 lbs Clubs. Road to the bruiser has begun.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Wed 2-18-04

-Warrior Wellness

[Lumpy Gravy]

Thurs 2-19-04

Doing nothing at all. During the day Tuesday, my neck kind of twitched and it was an instant spasm. It's gotten a lot better the last two days, but I wanted to give it one more day off before going back to the gym. It feels like I didn't tap soon enough on a neck crank. Weird.

My 25's should be here next week, so I can't wait to start playing with them.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Thurs 2-19-04

Evening -

Decided to do the frog stands and tuck front lever x 60 sec each. Getting a lot better at them...


Friday 2-20-04

Morning -

CB swing to head cast 3x5 RT: 8 RPE: 5
CB Front Lever Press 2x5 RT: 6 RPE: 8
CB Side Lever Press 2x5 RT: 6 RPE: 8
CB Clean to Torch Press 2x10 RT: 9 RPE: 7
CB 1/2 Parry to Shield Cast 2x5 RT: 7 RPE: 6

CB Swipes 17x11 in 17 minutes RT: 7 RPE: 8.5
(The old thumb muscle cramp came back with a vengeance. I obviously have some discrepency in my grip strength that needs to be addressed. Every other muscle was not exerted much though)

Knee Switch x 30:00

Afternoon -
Warrior Wellness Beginner's
Be Breathed slow pikes

Evening & Weekend -
Rest. My neck is about 90% now. Hopefully it'll be 100% by Monday.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Monday 2-23-04

Morning-
KB Bent Press
KB Overhead Squat
KB Overhead Flies
x3 circuits RPE: 9 RT: 6

KB Snatch 16x7 in 16 minutes

KB Floor Flies
KB High Pulls
KB Curls
KB Front Squats
x3 circuits RPE: 9 RT: 8

Basketball x 30:00+

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s
Random Ab Exercises

Evening-
Frog Stand x60 sec
Tuck Front Lever x60 sec
Be Breathed (Pike slow x 10:00 & fast x50)

[Lumpy Gravy]

Tuesday 2-24-04

Morning-
CB Swing to Head Cast 2x10 RPE: 8 RT: 8
CB Drumming 2x14 (7/7) RPE: 7 RT: 8
CB Snatch 2x20 RPE: 6 RT:8
CB Clean to Torch Press 2x5 RPE: 8 RT: 7
CB Circles (front/back/in/out) x3 ea RPE: 4 RT:8

CB Mills 16x22 (11/11) RPE: 6 RT: 8.5

Handstand Push-ups x25 (in 4 sets w/30 sec rest between sets)

Pull-ups/Dips x50 (in 4 sets w/30 sec rest between sets)

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner’s
Random Ab Exercises

Evening-
Frog Stand x60 sec
Tuck Front Lever x60 sec
Be Breathed (Pike slow x 10:00 & fast x50)

I’ll also take my mountain bike out if it’s warm enough.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Almost forgot.

Tues 2-24-04

Morning-

Squat Creep > Shin Twist Chain x 30:00 (not the one on the video. I was playing around with different protocols)

[Lumpy Gravy]

Thursday 2-26-04

Morning-

KB Bent Press
KB double Snatch
x3 circuits RT: 8 RPE: 8

KB Clean & Jerk 16x7 in 16 minutes RT:8 RPE:10
-I was huffing and puffing and I had to drop reps on a few sets. I'll have to repeat next week.

KB Flies
KB Front Squats
x3 circuits RT: 9 RPE: 8

Standing Ab Wheel x8
Weighted Russian Twists x8
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches x8
Dragon Flags x5
x3 circuits RT: 7 RPE: 8

Jogging x 25:00

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner's

Evening-
Frog Stand/Tuck Ffront Lever x60 sec
Be Breathed Pikes fast x50 and slow x 10:00


Note: My 25 lbs CB's just arrived this morning. They are a little heavier than I thought, but I was doing 1-hand swipes and mills. I am in my office at work, so I have limitted space and I didn't want to get too many crazy looks.

[Lumpy Gravy]

Friday 2-27-04

Morning-

Alright. I decided to completely focus on movements with the new 25's. I didn't even bring the 15's out of my locker, so I wouldn't have an escape route if I started doubting myself.

CB Swings to warm-up.
1-arm CB Swipes x 20 (10/10) RT: 8 RPE: 8
1-arm CB Head Casts x6 (3/3) RT: 5 RPE: 8
CB Inside Pendulums x 6 (3/3) RT: 6 RPE: 8
CB Outside Pendulums x6 (3/3) RT: 6 RPE: 8
1-arm CB Head Casts x4 (2/2) RT: 5 RPE:8
CB Shoulder Casts (1/2 iron cross) x0 (not happening...)
1-arm CB Head Casts x4 (2/2) RT: 5 RPE:8
CB Shoulder Casts (1/2 iron cross) x0 (not happening...)
CB Double Head Cast x0 (left arm lost it at top of movement)
CB Double Head Cast x0 (left arm lost it again)
1-arm CB Head Casts x4 (2/2) RT: 6 RPE:8
Gaining confidence to get to...
CB Double Head Cast x1 RT:6 RPE: 8 (death gripped the thing!)
CB Double Swipes 2 sets 1x13; 1x10 RT: 8 RPE: 8

*It was a good day. The 25's are definately a lot more challenging and I like the challenge.

Weighted Pull-ups/Dips 2x5

Kenetic Chain (Flat foot squat > cossack squat > shin box > elevated shin box > swung foot around into flat foot squat > repeat) x 30:00

*I also worked the basic knee switch and shinbox switch during rest periods from the chain. I don't think this one was on the body flow tapes, but it could have been in GTB because it felt very familiar. I was just trying to come up with something different.

Basketball x 20:00+

Afternoon-
Warrior Wellness Beginner's

[Lumpy Gravy]

Tuesday 3-2-04

Morning-
Well, I started coming down with something I most likely got from my elementary school teacher wife (AKA Incubator for every known virus in North America) this weekend that really hit me Sunday. I think pushing my legs on the off-day Saturday really helped drop my immunity level. Anyhoo, I'm taking Monday and Wednesday off. I did some light work Tuesday though...

With 25's:

2 CB Clean to Order 2 x 10 RPE: 4 RT: 9
2 CB Armpit Cast 2 x 3 RPE: 8 RT: 8 (a lot harder than I thought)
CB Alternating Inward Pendulum 2x5 RPE: 8 RT: 7 (again harder than I thought)
CB Alternating Outward Pendulum 2x5 RPE: 6 RT: 8
2 CB Head Cast 2x1 RPE: 7 RT: 7 (got easier than last time)
CB Mills 5 x 10 RPE: 5 RT: 7 (really was yanking my arm until I got used to the movement with this weight)

Rest... Get better!

Hopefully :?