Thursday Jan 30

Well, I'm still training inside, as I just don't trust the roads yet. I figure I'd slip and fall and have to call 911 to come and rescue me from broken ankles or worse.

In any case, it was a cardio day and I just wanted to try something different. As it happened, I got a Turbulance Training email early in the morning, with a "Just say no to cardio", Cardio workout. I clicked and pasted the workout into an email and sent it to myself. At work, I printed it off and got myself ready to give it a shot.

Ten rounds of this in around 26 minutes was a pretty good session, let me tell you:

1) Double KB Front Squat - 10 reps (I used 2 x 25 lb kettlebells for this)
2) Double KB Farmers Walk - about 50 feet, using 2 x 40 lb bells
3) KB Swing - 20 reps - using the 40 lb bell
4) MB Slam - 10 reps - using a 12 lb ball
5) Hanging knee tucks - 10 reps

 I can hardly wait to do this outside in June. Man, I can hardly wait for June ....

Since this was a Thursday, I also got a rugby session in, too. I think we tied twice and won one.

Wed Jan 29

I wanted to get this done. I wanted to get this done and I did:

three rounds of
barbell squats
hanging knee tucks
dumbbell overhead press
kettlebell swings

then did

db bench
db single arm rows
db reverse flys
kettlebell farmers walks

I know, I know ... you like the numbers. I do, too. I'm in the middle of about 65 Million things, man. I'm glad I got this post done, too.

Tuesday Jan 28

And so ... the final chapter is being written in my current position. I'm going to have to reflect and write about my experiences over the last five months. I'm going to sort of miss the freedom of the position, but I'm not going to miss the sense of impending doom.

I was scrambling around the Halton Region today, but made sure I got this done before I went to bed:

10 rounds of hitting the heavy bag

2 minutes of hitting the bag
90 seconds of using battle ropes

I really like my new iPhone 4s. I had forgotten my GymBoss timer at home, and so while I was putting on my stuff, I downloaded Round Timer to use during the workout. It worked as well as I expected, and I got my workout done. Would I use it again? Since I don't have to download it, well ... maybe. I will try and remember to get my timer back with my gym stuff, though.

I thought that was a cool workout. At least it wasn't boring. Although, I think I need to test me knee tonight with a short run. We'll see.

Monday Jan 27

I am getting so sick of snow. It's unreal this winter - and it's going to get worse, at least according to the weather people.

I intended a training session during the day, but called it off, on account of the gym owner not being around to let me in. Meh, you make lemonade when such things happen, right?

So, I got my kids to bed and went into my own gym and did the following for four rounds.

15 kb cleans
15 kb cleans and presses
15 kb rows
15 kb snatches
20 step ups each side - only 12 inch step this time, as my knee was feeling a little strange.

I started with the 12 kilo bell, then used the 16 kilo bell. Then the 12, then the 16. I've said it before and I'll say it again ... there is a real difference between 12 and 16 kilos.

Friday, Sat and Sunday Jan 26

Friday ... my knee was more than a little sore. I rested it.

Saturday was nuts. I started it shoveling snow as my early morning workout. After that, I had to run a bingo, then drive to pick up kids at my father in laws house, then back to my house. Then, as I was relaxing on the couch, my youngest needed a trip to the emergency department of my local hospital, as he was getting close to a 39 degree body temp. Yeah, not a great day.

Sunday, at least I got a workout squeezed into the life of being a busy dad:

10 rounds of heavy bag:
2 minutes punching
1:30 of kettlebell lifting.

Had a few light rounds with a 12 kilo bell, a few heavier rounds with a 16 kilo bell, then5 rounds of double 12 kilo bell cleans and presses.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Jan 23

Tuesday I spent at the hospital with my wife. Literally got my Important Things done in my day to day list and then got a phone call, asking me to go and be with my wife. Yeah, there are things that are a lot more important than training.

Wednesday...more of the same.

Thursday I got back to my training.

Ten rounds of working the heavy bag, with a minute of 50 lb kettlebell between.

2 minutes punchin
1 minute kettlebell lifting/overhead walking Etc.

after that I did a few minute session with a roller and got back to being an adult.

Later, I had rugby. I did something weird to my knee, but got a chance to stretch and ice later on.

Mon Jan 20

I'm on my iPhone, so this won't come out as pretty as it usually is. I got back to basics this week, squeezing a workout in to a busy family day.

For three rounds, using a 40lb bell:

15 cleans

15 clean and presses

10 rows

10 snatches

As many body weight squats as I could manage before my knee said 'no'.

After, I did a fairly good session with a roller. I also had a good conversation about kbs, step ups and other things I do regularly as beneficial to my knees. Cool.

Sun Jan 19

The dark days of the last week are over. At least I think they are over. In any case, I've fooled myself into thinking they are over and don't tell me otherwise.

I got this done for three rounds and I had barely enough time to get that done. First round was with a 12 kilo bell and the other two were with the 16 kilo bell.

15 kb cleans
15 kb cleans and presses
10 kb rows
10 kb snatches
20 step ups each side.

My knee is still kind of hurting from last week's rugby. Kind of stiff and not working properly. I was glad to get this done and on with my day.

Wed, Thurs, Fri and Saturday Jan 18

Eesh, what a week. Wednesday was an unintended rest day - just too much going on everywhere to get a workout in. Sounds like and excuse? Ah, no.

Thursday was a rugby night. I did get to rugby, but did something to my knee that just did not feel good. I did score two tries that night and helped with a nice dummy run for a third. But the last play - for my second try- I stretched a little far with the leg and the knee just went ... "no".

Friday I was limping around and trying to get my work done. I had too many meetings to make stuff happen. At least I ate intelligently.

Saturday...was still limping and driving people around. It's amazing how quickly time flies when small people are involved. I rested my knee as much as I could, but it's still hurting.

Tuesday Jan 14

And so .... things are getting stressful at work. People freaking out ... I want to so go back to Christmas Break ... although I am a few steps closer to another break, so ... life goes on.

Tonight was a "Let's forget about today" workout. Four rounds with a 16 kilo kettlebell has tuckered me out.

15 kb cleans
15 kb clean and presses
10 kb rows
10 kb snatches
15 step ups each side.

That was a good session. Might have been nice to do some timed sets of kettlebell lifting, but the "beep, beep" sound might have awoken the small three year old opera singer upstairs in my house. Need to find a silent solution to that problem. Surely there is an app for that.

Sunday and Monday Jan 13

Sunday was a rest day ... it shouldn't have been, but I was chasing around people all day. I cleaned, then cleaned and did more cleaning. Then cooking. By the end, I was like "forgettaboutit", then went to bed.

So ... I squeezed this workout into a really busy day. Eesh, being fit and busy is kinda hard.

In any case I got this done for four rounds before having to go be a dad. 16 kilo bell used throughout.

10 kb cleans
10 kb clean and presses
10 kb snatches
10 kb rows
20 bw squats

Not a lot of time, not a lot of equipment, lots of sweat.

Saturday Jan 11

Ok, so I did two workouts today, almost as if by accident.

The first workout was timed kettlebell intervals with a 12 kilo bell in my home gym.

6 rounds of alternating kb snatches for 1:30, then 30 seconds of rest.

Then I got this done:

2 rounds of double kettlebell clean and press, too.

I was pretty sweaty afterwards.

I showered and got ready to take one of my children to an away swim meet. I managed to pack my training kit, too. When I got there, it was packed. I said to myself that I was glad I usually train alone. The free weight section was full of meatheads. I did get on a very unpopular treadmill and got a nice run in for 20 minutes before getting a roller and going to own with in on a mat for about 15 minutes.

Then, I got into the change room and did a second recollection as to why I train at home. The shower was no big whoop te do either. Meh, I'm just glad I train at home or by myself most of the time.

Friday Jan 10

Ok, I'll stop counting... I'll do it in December, man. I will keep up the blogging though.

In any case, today was a cardio day and I got the boxing workout done. I can't say it was easy, especially as my legs were still feeling last night's rugby, but I got it done.

10 rounds of:
2 minutes hitting the heavy bag
1 minute kb lifting - 50 lb bell cleans and swings

By the end of it, I felt a lot better than when I started it.

Thursday Jan 9

Six

So ... yeah. I got made fun of for the pic in yesterday's post ... seems someone has their gibblets rustled:

In any case ... I did retort that I laughed enough at bodybuilders and general meatheads when they tried to participate in Rugby or Wrestling. Fit? Yes. Technically skilled or ready for the actual demands of the sport ... ah, no. I fondly recall beating the daylights out of muscley guys during my wrestling days at Uni. These days in rugby, all the muscle heads tend to poop out about minute 60.

In any case, I got this done four rounds:
10 squats ("Ass to the lawn") something light on the bar ... like 90 lbs
10 hanging knee tucks
10 standing db overhead presses (30 lb db's used)

then I got this done four rounds:
10 bench flies (finished with 35 lb dbs)
10 bench rows
10 bench reverse flies 12.5 lbs used
10 Zottman curls (10 lbs used)

I also did my evening of Rugby inside the dome at Sherwood. It wasn't awesome, but it was fun.

Wednesday January 8

This would be workout five.

It was to be a conditioning day, as most days these days are. In any case, I wanted something different than the boxing, if only for one day.

Started with no warm up and got each round done with a heavier bell

10 cleans

10 Clean and presses

10 rows

10 snatches

20 bodyweight squats 

First round was 8 kilo bell

Next was 25 pound bell

Then the 40 pound bell

Then the 50 pounder

Then the 70 pounder 

The last round was hard and I did half sets; that is sets of 5 or 3. I'll get better at it. I did about five minutes on the roller, working on my legs; lots of tender spots that needed rolling.

Tuesday Jan 7

Oh. My. God. It. Is. Really. Cold.

But I trained this fifth workout of 2014 in a semi-heated facility, so it's all good. I also managed to forget my iPhone 3G at home, but luckily had my new, unactivated iPhone 4S with me ... so after my training session, I got a SIM card and now I'm just updating the software and all the rest of it.

In any case, I'm thinking I need someone to talk to about my training; I know I've gotten this program from the New Zealand Rugby Union Coaching site, but you just want to make sure what you are doing is going to help.

In any case, I got this done for ten rounds before having to get my digital life together again...

2 minutes hitting the heavy bag
1 minute kb exercise ... snatches with a 30 lb bell, cleans with a 50 lb bell...

I felt good after, too.

Monday Jan 6

This is workout four, I think, of the new year. Someone ... i think it was Alwyn Cosgrove... kept count of his workouts for 2013, which I thought was a good idea. Until I saw how often I didn't post in 2013. I'm going to make sure that I both gett the training done and the blogging done in 2014.

May-August wasn't pretty around my house, to be frank. Eeesh. So far, things look good.

In any case, I got this done four rounds before having to go be a dad:

20 bw squats
10 db overhead presses with 30 lb db's
10 reverse bench flies 12.5 lbs used 
20 step ups, holding increasing weight every round.

then did four rounds of
 
15 30 lb db bench flies
10 db bench rows
10 hanging knee tucks
10 Zottman Curls

Felt really good at the end of this. Tired, though. Need a boost, but trying to stay away from coffee.

Sat January 4 and Sunday Jan 5

Saturday was a day for being dad. And so, I was. I did get up early, get a coffee with my son and then hung out for the day. It was nice being able to reconnect with my kids.

Sunday I got this done for four rounds. I also discovered that my son is a Russian judge when it comes to counting kettlebell snatches. He just kept yelling "One!", "One!", "One!" at me. As if the rep didn't count.

In any case this:
10 kb cleans (used a shiny "new" yellow 16 kilo bell throughout)
10 kb cleans and presses
10 kb rows
10 kb snatches
20 bw squats

Yup, just something quick to get the juices flowing and getting some work done. Snowing like cats out there right now. Hoping for a snow day tomorrow.

Jan 1,2 and 3

So ... Wed Jan 1 was to be a rugby day, but instead I was at home, taking care of my family. I did get out to see some of the Winter Classic and to chit chat with people, but it wasn't an active day. My legs needed some rest after the 5k the night before, man. I did find a messager that I gave my wife years ago. I assumed it was lost in the move ... but lo and behold, it was in a corner. I put it to good use on my quads a few times already.

Thursday ... I honestly didn't know it was Thursday. It's nice being on vacation. In any case, I got the heavy bag session done.

Ten rounds of:
two minutes heavy bag hitting
one minute of kb lifting. Some rounds were double kb cleans, other rounds were single kb swings.

Someday I'll do all ten rounds with double kb cleans. For now, I switched it up. Still it was a fun workout. I got to bed silly early on Thursday which means...

Friday I was up silly early. I mean Oh five thirty early. I got a chance to train, get the snow off of the drive way and then get the huge pile of Christmas debris/garbage out to the curb. All by 6:50am.

This was this morning's workout. I used one of the "new" 16 kilo bells. Those things are awesome.

10 kb cleans (each side)
10 kb clean and press
10 kb snatch
20 bw squats
20 seated knee tucks

Monday and Tuesday Dec 31

Monday was a nice break ... I got nothing done. Except picking up four competition kettlebells for 140 bucks. Two 12 kilo and two 16 kilo bells. They're awesome.

Tuesday was the Brita Resolution Run in Burlington. I spent the day drooling over the bells, but knowing I had a 5k run later. It wasn't the most pleasant of runs, though. It was cold - but I dressed warmly. It wasn't sunny - it started at 5pm, so yeah. No need for sunglasses. The course was open - that is just on the sidewalks with no off duty cops to control traffic like the Santa run. It was snowy and icey and ... I just didn't warm up properly. Meh, I should have done all that myself.

I did stretch after the run, but not knowing anyone in the crowd was a drag. I got home to my family and had a great New Years Eve.