Friday's Workout

Back to the 5 a.m. class!

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

My left shoulder wasn't feeling it today; for the first time in a while, I had trouble keeping my arm locked out even while using a fairly light weight (16 kg). I think I need to drag my kettlebells to our hotel room (yes, we're still living in a hotel while our floors at home are getting ripped out) and practice, practice, practice. All of the rest of my garage gym equipment is buried underneath mountains of furniture and boxes at the moment, but my kettlebells are still accessible.

What my home gym looked like:

What my home gym now looks like:

Plus, a number of great fitness minds agree: Turkish Get-Ups (and other kettlebell movements) are among the best exercises you can do.

Metcon:

3 rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• 20 kettlebell snatches (10 with each arm, 24kg / 16kg)
• 20 Abmat sit-ups

The sit-ups weren't a problem for me, but I felt like I was running in super-slow-motion today. And the kettlebell snatches were rough -- especially when I was using my left arm.

I know I say this a lot, but I need to get stronger.

Result: 11:29 as RXed.

Friday's Workout

A lot can happen in two days.

Between Wednesday's workout and today's:

• We finished the Nom Nom Paleo iPad app after months of intensive work, and submitted it to Apple for review;
• I sat in a plane on the tarmac for an hour and a terminal for two hours before being told that my flight to Southern California (for work) was grounded.
• I was booked on another flight, only to be told at midnight that it, too, was canceled.
• I drove home and collapsed -- only to be jolted awake a few hours later by my wife, who had awakened to a the sounds of water gushing out from below our kitchen sink. Three-quarters of our house was covered by a half-inch of water.
• We bailed water like crazy.
• An emergency crew came over and started tearing out our hardwood floors and baseboards.
• We packed up our stuff and moved into a hotel. The insurance company has us booked here for a month.
• Oh, and Big-O had a Little League game.

I'm a little tired.

But I was looking forward to getting back in the gym so I could work off some of the stress I'd accumulated.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3)

This morning, I didn't feel super-stable in my shoulders, and found my arm wobbling a bit. Perhaps my shoulders are still fried from Monday's and Wednesday's workouts, but then again, maybe I just need to get stronger.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 8 minutes:

• 21 chest-high kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 15 push-ups
• 9 toes-to-bar

The swings and push-ups weren't too awful, but my toes-to-bar were slow as mud. I need to figure out a better way to generate momentum at the finish of each rep; right now, I end up in a dead hang position, which forces me to initiate a big wind-up before continuing onto the next rep.

Result: 5 rounds + 1 rep as RXed.

I tried but ultimately failed to catch the Terminator, who ended up with 8 more reps than me. Such is the way of things, I guess. It's a comforting reminder that even when life throws you for a loop, some things never change.

On tap for tomorrow: The Whole9 Foundations of Nutrition Seminar at CrossFit Palo Alto! And another Little League game.

Friday's Workout

It's immensely stupid of me to hit the gym on just four hours of sleep, but I did it anyway.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1. 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 - each side)

I did fine. I stuck with light weights (12 and 16 kilograms), and focused on ensuring good positioning of my free hand. And even the 12 kilogram kettlebell was enough to get my shoulders nice and engaged -- just in time for:

• 101 push-presses for time (95# / 65#), with a 5-burpee penalty every time the barbell is set down on the floor.

I'll admit it: For the first half of the WOD, I certainly tried to "game" system by resting the bar across the back of my neck and shoulders when I was too tired to continue. And for a while, it worked -- I got through the first 50 push-presses without having to do any burpees.

But as the workout wore on, the heavier the barbell got (even though I was only using 80 pounds and not the RXed 95). After Rep Number 50, I reluctantly lowered the barbell to the ground and did my requisite burpees....slowly. I broke the remaining push-presses into sets of 10, and resigned myself to the fact that I would have to do another four or five rounds of burpee before hitting the magic number of 101 push-press reps.

Result: 12:13.

Yeesh. I literally fell asleep while writing this post. Must. Go. To. Sleep.

Monday's Workout: "Jackie"

I spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon mashed into an uncomfortable chair in an auditorium, watching my six-year-old (and dozens of others) perform at his martial arts studio's annual black belt show. My kid was onstage for two short segments, each lasting about a minute. Those couple of minutes were fantastic; I love watching my little man confidently punch and kick his way across a stage. But for the remaining 118 minutes of the kung fu recital, my mind was focused on the fact that the ache in my injured lower back was worsening. The longer I was scrunched in that chair (with my three-year-old squirming on my lap), the more miserable I got.

Interestingly, my back didn't feel better until 5 a.m. this morning, when I staggered into the gym, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and started foam-rollering the hell out of my back muscles. Finally, I felt the tension ease, and after joining the rest of the class for a low-impact warm-up (no awkward cartwheels today!), my back started to feel a whole lot looser.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1-2-3-1-2-3)

No point in (further) destroying myself today. I stuck with a 1 pood kettlebell for my TGUs. They felt pretty solid, and even with a few minutes of rest between sets, I finished relatively quickly.

Metcon:

"Jackie" - For time:

• Row 1,000 meters
• 50 barbell thrusters (45lbs / 35lbs)
• 30 pull-ups

I've done Jackie twice before, but the last time was over a year ago, and frankly, I have no recollection of these previous attempts. Tim asked me my PR on Jackie, and I shrugged.

This didn't look too bad, I thought as I scrutinized the whiteboard. The rowing would be miserable, but if I paced myself, I'd be fine. Doing thrusters with an empty bar seemed easy enough. And pull-ups are fun! If I pulled a leisurely 4-minute 1K row, I figured I'd need just another 4 minutes -- tops! -- to get through the light thrusters and pull-ups.

I was wrong. As usual. The only one of us at 5 a.m. who finished in less than 8 minutes was the Terminator (of course).

If I'd consulted my blog archives (see? they come in handy!), I would have seen that in July of last year, I finished Jackie in 10:03, and in September, I finished in 9:28. And perhaps I would have remembered how my legs turned to jelly right after stumbling off the erg, and how even 45-pound thrusters feel horrible when my thighs are on fire. Or, for that matter, how the thrusters were more than enough to fry my arms and make 30 unbroken pull-ups nothing more than a pipe dream.

On the plus side:

• I managed a new PR (I finished in 9:07 as RXed), and
• During the workout -- and for about two hours afterwards -- my back felt awesome. I didn't even need to spray Old School Horse Rub on it.

Sadly, once I came home and got the kids dressed, fed, and off to school, my back turned back into a pumpkin and started aching again.

Monday's Workout: Shin vs. Barbell

This blog is quickly turning into a catalog of my injuries.

For a couple of months now, my body's been in a perpetual state of disrepair. Some of my injuries have been relatively minor (e.g., a bee sting on the bottom of my foot, a gash on the back of my calf, torn hands from Mary), while others have been more of a pain in the ass (e.g., an ankle sprain, a groin pull). Finally, after many slow and frustrating weeks on the mend, I started feeling pretty damned good again. I woke up last Monday with renewed energy, and had a blast tearing through Annie.

But just when I thought I was in the clear, my body decided to revolt once again. A day or two after last Wednesday's session of deadlifts, my lower back stiffened up. I figured the soreness would go away after a couple of days, but even now, the discomfort remains.

Given my decrepitude, I decided to take it easy today. The strength skill today was Turkish Get-Ups, and I chose to stick with the 1-pood kettlebell for all but the final set -- and even then, I went only a few pounds heavier.

And then Tim wrote today's metcon on the board:

"DT" -- 5 rounds for time of:

• 12 deadlifts (155lbs / 115lbs)
• 9 hang power cleans (155lbs / 115lbs)
• 6 push jerks (155lbs / 115lbs)

"Go lighter than normal," Tim instructed. "I don't want any dropped weights." At five a.m., he reminded the class, we need to be quiet as mice, or risk incurring the wrath of the neighbors.

Frankly, I was relieved to have an (additional) excuse to go light today. I'd hoped that my back would loosen up during warm-ups, but the soreness lingered. Ninety-five pounds sounded good to me.

As the workout began, I actually felt fine. I raced through the first round unbroken, and quickly moved on to the deadlifts again. The weight was light -- even numerous reps of power cleans weren't super-difficult at 95 pounds. But I started to flag midway through the workout, and had to put down the bar (quietly) several times for mid-set breathers.

And then, at the end of the fourth round, as I lowered the weight from overhead, I lost my grip on the barbell. To keep it from clanging on the floor, I instinctively stuck out my leg. That's right: MY LEG. TO CATCH A FALLING BARBELL.

Needless to say, the barbell won, and my shin lost. (Wanna see?)

After a brief visit to the Pain Cave in my head, I finished up the final round.

Result: 8:56.

At this rate, I swear I'm going to be in a full-body cast soon unless I invest in a full-body protective suit.

Snazzy!

Monday's Workout: Annie

Despite not getting enough sleep last night (as usual), it’s been weeks since I last walked into the gym feeling as good as I did this morning. As much as I hated missing class (and Nicole!) on Friday, taking a breather was just what I needed to recharge my batteries.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1-2-3 on each side)

It’s been a year since we last practiced kettlebell TGUs in class, and I have to admit that this movement’s more challenging than I remembered. I stuck with a light weight today (1 pood), and focused on re-familiarizing myself with the proper form. For the most part, I did fine -- but I do need to work on resisting the impulse to plant my hand behind me when I’m on my way back down to the floor.

Metcon:

“Annie” - for time:

• 50 double-unders
• 50 Abmat sit-ups
• 40 double-unders
• 40 Abmat sit-ups
• 30 double-unders
• 30 Abmat sit-ups
• 20 double-unders
• 20 Abmat sit-ups
• 10 double-unders
• 10 Abmat sit-ups

For once, I was excited to see a double-under workout on the whiteboard. It’s been over a month since I was last able to crank out a double-under WOD, and I’ve been antsy to get back on the horse. And while we’d done Annie in class a couple of times before, this was my first opportunity to try it again after watching the WOD’s namesake, Annie Sakamoto, kick some ass at this year’s NorCal Regionals and the CrossFit Games. My previous Annie time was 12:12, and I knew I could do better.

Ironically, my nagging ankle issues ended up improving my double-under form. Normally, I tend to jump high and stomp down forcefully during double-unders, needlessly expending exhausting myself in my efforts to clear the rope. But with a tender left ankle that can’t sustain hard impacts, I was forced to keep my jumps small and controlled. Using less energy meant that I could settle into a more consistent rhythm, and I was able to get through the rope-jumping fairly quickly (for me, anyway).

Visualization also helped. In my mind, I replayed videos of CrossFit Games athletes doing double-unders with their feet barely leaving the ground. And thirty feet in front of me at the gym, I could also see Kyle -- our resident double-under fiend -- lightly bouncing up and down as his rope whipped around him. I did my best to keep up with him, and though I didn't succeed, I PR'ed by three minutes. Not a bad way to start the week!

Result: 9:11 as RXed.

Monday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups

I've worked my way up to doing get-ups with a 20kg (44 pound) kettlebell, but it's murder on my wrists.

Metcon:

• Row 2000 meters.

Sounds simple enough, but this is my all-time least favorite metcon. I did this once before -- it was the final task I had to complete for my Level One test back in July. And the aftermath was ugly:

My legs were so cramped up that I couldn't do anything but rock back and forth on the erg, moaning and punching my thighs. After a few minutes, I tried to stand up, but my left knee buckled and I stumbled to the ground. I crawled a few steps into the gym, and lay on the floor.

But that day, despite the cramping legs, I completed the 2000-meter row in 7:45.

Not today. I pulled 8:04 -- almost 20 seconds slower than my previous effort. But it was just as painful -- as soon as I was done, I doubled over on the Concept2, my feet still locked in the stirrups. It took me a couple of minutes to get off the erg and totter over to a chair, where I kneaded my legs and tried to catch my breath. Even when I managed to get up and into my car, I couldn't even think about driving until I'd spent a few minutes reclining back in the driver's seat, waiting for my quads to unclench.

(She looks like how I felt.)

Rowing and me don't get along.

On the plus side, we probably won't be doing this workout again anytime soon.

Monday's Workout

I have no idea why I showed up for the 5 a.m. class this morning. Our kids spent the night at their grandparents' place last night, so I didn't have to finish my workout before little feet came scampering down the hall. I could (and should) have slept in 'til 6:30 and then dragged my ass over to the CrossFit box for the 7 o'clock session.

Habits are hard to break, I guess. After my eyes popped open at 4:20 a.m., I was on cruise control. (And M was working an overnight shift at the hospital, so she wasn't around to talk sense into me.) It wasn't until I was at the gym, warming up with sets of wall balls, that I realized I should have been in bed.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups

We did ladders: a set of 1 rep on each side, a set of 2 reps on each side, and a set of 3 on each side before repeating the sequence again.

Nothing too difficult, though the get-ups started wearing down my grip strength towards the end. Which, by the way, wasn't such a great thing given today's metcon.

Metcon:

"Fran" -- for time:

• 21 barbell thrusters
• 21 pull-ups
• 15 barbell thrusters
• 15 pull-ups
• 9 barbell thrusters
• 9 pull-ups

This may not appear to be much of a workout, but believe me: It's a monster. There's a reason why Fran is arguably CrossFit's signature WOD: it's deceptively simple, and insanely challenging. As my coach put it: "Fran never gets easier. It just gets faster."

I first tried Fran a few months ago, during my first week of CrossFit. Back then, I scaled it significantly, lifting a lighter load and using a band to assist me. But even with all that assistance, it took me more than eight and a half minutes to finish.

These days, I wouldn't think of using the band for pull-ups during a WOD, but part of me still blanched at the thought of trying to blaze through 45 thrusters at the RXed weight of 95 pounds. But a bigger, bossier part of me was itching to do Fran as prescribed -- even if it took me 10 minutes to finish the workout.

Thankfully, it didn't. I finished in 7:58, shaving off more than a half-minute from my previous time. Still nothing to crow about -- I'm certainly no Spealler -- but I'm happy to see some improvement!

Moonlighting

Woke up at an ungodly hour to prep for my 5 a.m. CrossFit class.

Did wall-balls. And Turkish get-ups. Then: Fran.

Now: Back to bed.

Monday's Workout

Back home, and back to CrossFit!

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups

I did plenty of Turkish Get-Ups back when I was doing my Monster Mashup routine earlier this year, so after shaking off the cobwebs, I got through these just fine.

Metcon:

"3/4 Cindy" -- AMRAP in 15 minutes of:

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

A full Cindy is 20 minutes long. A couple of new folks have joined our 5 a.m. class, so we did just 15 minutes -- and for that, I'm grateful. Not that today's WOD wasn't incredibly fun, mind you. I love bodyweight workouts, and greatly prefer them to metcons that emphasize lifting heavy barbells.

Result: I completed 15 rounds + 3 pull-ups in 15 minutes. I shot out of the gate, but slowed substantially towards the end.

(I briefly considered pacing myself, but decided that it didn't make sense to do so with such a short workout. I may feel differently if/when we do a full Cindy, though.)

Round 3 / Day 97: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs/Core Plus

I think I need heavier weights. I have a set of Bowflex Selecttech 552s, and while they've been handy and space-saving, they max out at 52.5 pounds each. With Turbulence Training, I'm supposed to use weights that force me to max out at 6-8 reps per set, but without something heavier to heave, I'm not getting as much out of my presses and rows as I should.

So now, I'm considering whether to buy a set of Selecttech 1090s, which go up to 90 pounds each -- but they're more expensive than I'd like, and heavier than I'll probably ever need. Maybe I should just duct-tape some weight plates or small children to my current set of 552s. Luckily, I happen to have both lying around.

Round 3 / Day 90: 2K4 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

This morning, for the first time in a week, I really enjoyed working out. Part of it, I think, is that I wasn't sweating alone -- M was next to me, lifting weights in sync with her ChaLEAN Extreme Push Circuit One video. Even though we didn't say a word to each other, it was great having company.

Another reason I dug my morning workout: I didn't have to turn on the TV to do it.

Round 3 / Day 76: Original Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

I can finally do pistols! (Sort of. I need to hold onto the toes of my upraised leg to keep my balance.)

Round 3 / Day 48: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout Workout B + RKC Get Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus (+ 50 Pull-Ups)

Before piling everything in the car and making a beeline for Southern California, M and I dutifully got up at 5:30 this morning to exercise.

Today's Turbulence Training routine wasn't too tough -- the stability ball moves and planks are fairly easy, and the rest of the exercises were fairly basic -- so I upped my weights and added brief sets of pull-ups at the end of each superset. By the end of my final set of Step-Ups, I knew I'd picked the right weights; I was just the right amount of exhausted.

Get-Ups are still kicking my ass, particularly when I'm doing them from my left (weaker) side. I may need to start wearing a helmet.

As for Abs / Core Plus, is it just me, or did Tony get a little too carried away with his attempts to add variety to the moves in P90X+? The exercises on the pull-up bar are great, but Cherry Bombs? Banana Masons? Raised-Toe-Iso-Leaning-Standing-Crunches? Are these moves really any better than those in Ab Ripper X?

Round 3 / Day 27: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus

2K5 Workout A starts with two rounds of three warm-up moves: Prisoner Squats, Elevated Push-Ups, and Stability Ball Leg Curls. And for the main event, we have (as usual) three supersets, each repeated three times:

Superset One:

• Squats (8 reps): You can choose to do 1-Leg Squats (a.k.a. Pistol Squats) instead, but I'm still not yet able to do 'em using my left leg, so I opted for regular old Squats instead.

• Dumbbell Chest Presses (6 reps): I've totally run out of things to say about chest presses.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (8 reps): While doing this exercise, I sometimes fear that my lower back is going to just snap, and my upper body's going to separate from my pelvis and topple to the floor.

• Spiderman Push-Ups (5 reps per side): After having done a billion Oblique Push-Ups, these are a (welcome) piece of cake.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Step-Ups (10 reps per side): I'm not a super-heavy guy, and I only carry a 30-pound dumbbell in each hand when I do my Step-Ups, but I'm worried that one of these days, my weight bench is going to collapse while I'm doing this move. For some reason, this entire workout is suffused with dread. I need to stop watching "Lost" on my TiVo while doing Turbulence Training.

• Dumbbell Rear-Deltoid Raises (12 reps): Fun! Round 3 doesn't contain much in the way of isolation moves for my shoulders, so I really dig this exercise.

And then I proceeded to suck at Get-Ups for 5 minutes.

Lastly: Abs / Core Plus. This is a perfectly fine core workout, and as I've mentioned before, the hanging leg raises are awesome. The rest? Ehhh. The other moves are decent, but pale in comparison to Ab Ripper X or Killer Abs from the One-on-One series.

Off to bed now, where I can try to crack open one of the four or five books I've started (but will probably never finish) reading.

Round 3 / Day 19: Insanity Max Interval Circuit + RKC Get-Ups

I just ate like a big pig (one that enjoys ceviche, guacamole and steak), but at least I burned some calories earlier today by jumping up and down like a crazy person. And although I'm not scheduled to do Get-Ups until tomorrow, I knocked 'em out before I left home this morning, figuring that there aren't going to be kettlebells at the fitness center in my hotel.

Round 3 / Day 13: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus

Sorry about the lack of posts today -- swamped at work. (I know it's hard to believe, but I actually have a job. One that pays money, no less!) Still, I managed to squeeze in my morning workout before being buried in meetings and conference calls and emails.

First up was Workout B from Craig Ballantyne's 2K3 version of Turbulence Training, which starts with the same warm-up sequence as Workout A: two circuits of Reverse Lunges, Close-Grip Push-Ups, and Stick-Ups. But unlike Monday's Workout A, which emphasized upper body resistance moves, Workout B targeted the legs and core with the following moves:

Superset One:

• Dumbbell Forward Lunges (8 reps per side): I hadn't done these since I used to hit the gym on a daily basis. In other words, it's been a loooooong time. Thankfully, my body still remembers how to pull off this exercise without toppling over.

• Side Planks (30 seconds per side): Not to be an asshole or anything, but this was way too easy. If you're a veteran of Ab Ripper X, you'll need to modify this by going for 90 seconds per side or doing a leg raise or something.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (8 reps): Much easier than the first time around.

• Stability Ball Jackknifes (15 reps): Start in a low plank position, but with your forearms resting on a weight bench and your shins on a stability ball. Contracting your abs and maintaining a straight back, use your feet to slowly roll the ball towards the bench while tucking your knees in to your chest. Pause, and then reverse the motion. That's one rep.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Step-Ups (8 reps per side): Stand facing a bench with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Place one foot on the bench and the other on the floor. Push up with your raised leg and lift yourself so that you're standing on the bench. Slowly reverse the motion. Do this eight times, and then switch legs.

• Stability Ball Leg Curls (15 reps): Lie on your back. Put the soles of your feet on top of a stability ball, keeping your body and legs in a straight line. Contract your glutes, push down on the ball with your feet and bring your knees and hips up. Pause, and then slowly reverse the motion. That's one rep.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Next up: Kettlebell Get-Ups. I only managed to crank out six awkward-looking get-ups in five minutes. As soon as I can free up some time, I need to schedule a consultation with Mark or Tracy Reifkind or Jordan Vezina. I really have no excuse not to get some personal kettlebell training, seeing as I'm lucky enough to live almost within spitting distance of the studio where these world-class instructors train.

To finish things off, I popped in the P90X+ Abs / Core Plus DVD. I had fun with the hanging core moves, but in my opinion, many of the exercises in this video aren't as challenging as they first appear.  In the end, I think Ab Ripper X offers a better core workout, though I do enjoy the variety of moves in Abs / Core Plus. (You'll see what I mean when I get around to describing them, but I'm too damn tired tonight to go into details.)

All in all, a decent workout.

Round 3 / Day 6: Original Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X Ab Ripper X

Given all the crap I crammed into this morning's workout, I'm a little surprised that it took less than an hour.

I started with Workout B from the Original Turbulence Training program. It begins with a couple rounds of Y-Squats, Close-Grip Push-Ups and Forward Lunges -- a sequence that's identical to the warm-up in Workout A. And then the fun starts.

The workout is made up of three supersets -- each done three times.

Superset One:

Squats: Hold dumbbells, squat down and back up, and don't round your back. Keep your knees behind your toes. If this is too easy for you, you can do One-Leg Squats (Pistols) instead. Right now, I can only manage to do a few Pistols -- without dumbbells -- using my right leg, so I opted for Squats. (8 reps)

Chin-Ups: Do 'em from a dead hang. Simple and straightforward. (8 reps)

Superset Two:

Dumbbell Split Squats: Start in a standing position, with a dumbbell in each hand. Lunge forward, pressing the front of your back foot into the ground and bending your back knee. Lower your body (keeping your torso vertical) until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Pause, and reverse the motion but without stepping back (i.e., stay in a split-squat stance). When finished with all reps for one leg, switch to the other. (8 reps per side)

Stability Ball Rollouts: Kneel on a mat and place your clasped hands on the top of a stability ball. Slowly lean forward and roll your hands over the ball, allowing the ball to move away from your body. Keep your abs braced and your body straight, and go as far as you can. Contract your abs and reverse the motion. Repeat. (After countless Ab Ripper X and Cardio Abs sessions, this was a piece of cake.) (10 reps)

Superset Three:

Dumbbell Rows: Nothing new or fancy -- just regular old dumbbell rows. Rest your left hand and left knee on a workout bench. Lean over, keeping your back flat, and grab a dumbbell in your right hand. Start with your arm fully extended and slowly row it up and down. (8 reps)

Mountain Climbers: Just like Plank Runs from Insanity, but slowed down. Start in a plank position, pick one foot off the floor, and slowly bring your knee up to your chest. Do all your reps with one leg, then switch to the other leg. Keep your abs braced throughout. (12 reps per side)

And with that, Workout B was finished, and I moved onto the New RKC Program Minimum portion of my morning session. On the menu today: Turkish Get-Ups.

As I mentioned yesterday, I suck at Get-Ups, but with some more practice (and some luck), I'm hopeful that I'll have this licked soon. The Program Minimum requires five uninterrupted minutes of Get-Ups from alternating sides, but I put in a few extra minutes to try to land the proper form. I ended up having to do a few Get-Ups with a lighter weight (I used a 25-pound dumbbell) before I was confident enough to try a few with my 18 kg kettlebell. I'm happy to report that I didn't drop the kettlebell on my face, crush my skull and die.

Afterwards, I popped in the Ab Ripper X DVD for some Tony time. I'm pretty sure I can now recite from memory all of Tony's lines from this workout.

Speaking of Tony, I was amused to read this quote from Myron Davis, a professor of health promotions at Weber State University, who was recently interviewed about P90X: "I think he's got a lot of good things [in the program]. The problem is, I couldn't stand him."

Turkish Get-Ups

The description of the Turkish Get-Up in Pavel Tsatsouline's "Enter the Kettlebell!" is quite simple:

Lie on your back, pick up the kettlebell with both hands, and press it with one. Slowly stand up while keeping your working arm straight and vertical. Assist yourself by pushing into the ground with the free arm. Slowly reverse the movement.

And visually, it doesn't look too difficult:



But I tried to do a few Get-Ups the other evening with a standard 16 kilogram (35-pound) kettlebell, and discovered just how weak and sucktastic I truly am.

As part of my next workout, I'm supposed to do five uninterrupted minutes of Get-Ups. It doesn't sound like much, but something tells me when I'm trying like hell to get myself off the floor tomorrow morning, it'll feel like an eternity.

Post-Round 2 Recovery Week: RKC Man Maker + P90X Ab Ripper X

More test-driving today. On this morning's agenda: kettlebell training -- more specifically, Pavel Tsatsouline's "New RKC Program Minimum" from "Enter the Kettlebell!" As Tsatsouline puts it:

The New RKC Program Minimum will deliver

• The conditioning of a world-class fighter;
• Rapid fat loss without the dishonor of aerobics;
• A back of steel;
• Muscular, flexible, and resilient shoulders;
• A skill base for the rest of the RKC drills.

Regardless of your goals, a simple routine of swings and get-ups makes a powerful introduction to RKC training ... these two moves will give you the biggest bang for your kettlebell buck.

The New RKC Program Minimum consists of two simple but ass-kicking workouts:

1.  Twice a week, do 12 continuous minutes of "Man Maker" training. What's a Man Maker, you ask? "Its template is simple: alternate sets of high-rep kettlebell drills -- swings in our case -- with a few hundred yards of jogging. Do your swings 'to a comfortable stop' most of the time and all-out occasionally." Sounds easy, but it's hard as hell.

[UPDATED: Just to clarify, the Man Maker video clip below shows snatches, not swings. I'm not yet proficient enough to do rep after rep of snatches without something going horribly, horribly wrong.]



2.  Twice a week, do 5 continuous minutes of Turkish Get-Ups, switching hands with every rep. Get-Ups sound easy, but aren't: You start by lying on your back holding a kettlebell up in the air with a straight arm, and "without jerking or unlocking the elbow, stand up and then slowly lie back down."



I did the Man Maker today, but instead of running, I did jumping jacks. And even after adding Ab Ripper X at the end, my total workout time today totaled less than half an hour. But it was brutal nonetheless. Ab Ripper X wasn't any more challenging than usual, but the kettlebell swings were exhausting. This is classic HIIT combined with resistance training for the legs. By the end, my glutes and hamstrings were on fire.

Quite frankly, I was worried I wouldn't be made into a man.