The Road to Albuquerque 2013

[Alan H]

OK good news. A minor setback. In six weeks, you'll be getting up Turkish style again fo sho.

[o1d_dude]

Nov 30, 2012

Day 34 of the 40 Day Even Easier Strength Program

Warm up
1x5x22.5 DB Goblet Squats
3x20x16K KB Swings
1x5 Half Turkish Get Ups
Bench Press
1x10x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
2x5x160-165
Snatch Grip Rack Pull
1x1x225
2x5x295-305
Back Squat
1x5x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
1x5x160-165
Farmer's Walk
(Rained out)
Hanging Knee Raise
(Taking some time off from ab work)

Still squatting and getting better at it.

[Alan H]

Hey when you do Farmers walks, do you use "actual" implements? When I do them here on the Farm, I use the 100 pound dumbells. We have db's that go up to 110 but I don't have the grip strength to carry those suckers more than 75 feet.

[o1d_dude]

Dec 3, 2012

Day 35 of the 40 Day Even Easier Strength Program

No ab work!

Warm up
1x5x22.5 DB Goblet Squats
3x20x16K KB Swings
Bench Press
1x10x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
2x5x160-165
Snatch Grip Rack Pull
1x1x225
2x5x295-305
Back Squat
1x5x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
1x5x160-165
Farmer's Walk
1x16K KB in each hand up and down the driveway

I can't recall if I mentioned this before...When doing the waiter walks, I start out carrying the 16K KB in my LEFT (non-dominant) hand and complete my lap up and down the driveway. At the top/starting point, I transfer the KB to my right (dominant) hand and do another lap. In a manner of speaking there are actually TWO laps but I can the entire sequence as a single set.

Today I picked up a book at Target called "Men's Health Training Guide 2013 - Build Warrior Muscle!" for $9.95. Why? Because in addition to various diets, six pack routines, and such there are actually some good things. The squat article by Dan John (Even Easier Strength) covers the goblet squat and squatting in general, the DB routines in the chapter titled "Unexpected Gains" there are Goblet Lunges, Suitcase Walk ("Single Arm Farmers Walk"), and in the "Ultimate Boot Camp Workout" chapter there are DB Lawnmowers and the Waiter Walks ("High-Low Farmers Walk") Marty has taken to.

Overall, the focus is on a Cross-Fit type of training (shred! lean! running!) but there are a lot pearls to be gleaned from the KB and DB exercise movements. The nutrition section is a bonus but nothing spectacular. I give it 4 stars.

[o1d_dude]

Dec 5, 2012

Day 36 of the 40 Day Even Easier Strength Program

No ab work!

Warm up
1x5x22.5 DB Goblet Squats
3x20x16K KB Swings
Bench Press
1x10x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
2x5x160-165
Snatch Grip Rack Pull
1x1x225
2x5x295-305
Back Squat
1x5x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
1x5x160-165
Waiter Walk
1x16K KB in each hand up and down the driveway

I have further identified movements that irritate my strained abs: KB Swings and Waiter Walks. Going to have to subsitute Farmers Walks for the Waiters and will have to come with something else for the KB swings. Rats.

[Alan H]

Ah, but Farmers Walks are wonderful for grip strength.

[o1d_dude]

Ah, but Farmers Walks are wonderful for grip strength.

And many other things as well.

Too answer your inquiry, grab a handful of weight in each hand, walk until the weight falls out of your hand. Pick them up and do it again. When the weight has fallen out of your hands three times, consider it done. Start at about 100 lbs in each hand. I have a pair of 120 dumbbells named Luther and Lamar that I used back in the day for this purpose.

[o1d_dude]

Dec 6, 2012

Day 37 of the 40 Day Even Easier Strength Program

No ab work!

Warm up
10 minutes Exercise Bike
1x5x22.5 DB Goblet Squats
1x5xPVC Bar Overhead Squats
1x5xPVC Bar Full Snatch
Bench Press
1x10x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
6x1x175-185-190-195-200-205
Snatch Grip Rack Pull
1x1x225
6x1x305-315-325-335-345-355
Back Squat
1x5x45
1x3x95
1x2x135
6x1x175-175-185-185-195-195
Farmers Walk
1x16K KB in each hand up and down the driveway

The Farmers Walk with a 16K kettlebell in each hand is simply not challenging enough. Going to have to bump up the weight and use some heavier dumbbells. Not quite ready for Luther and Lamar yet.

Tomorrow will be the "tonic" day of 1x10s with gurley mon weights.

[Alan H]

And many other things as well.

Too answer your inquiry, grab a handful of weight in each hand, walk until the weight falls out of your hand. Pick them up and do it again. When the weight has fallen out of your hands three times, consider it done. Start at about 100 lbs in each hand. I have a pair of 120 dumbbells named Luther and Lamar that I used back in the day for this purpose.

Luther and Lamar look pretty substantial!

[o1d_dude]

Dec 7, 2012

Day 38 of the 40 Day Even Easier Strength Program

No ab work!

Warm up
10 minutes Exercise Bike
1x10x22.5 DB Goblet Squats
1x10xPVC Bar Overhead Squats
Bench Press
1x10x45
1x10x95
Snatch Grip Rack Pull
1x10x225
Back Squat
1x5x45
1x10x95
Farmers Walk
1x16K KB in each hand up and down the driveway

Gurley mon workout for the "tonic" following the six singles workout.

Been thinking about this program a bit. It seems to work for the same reason that Louie Simmons' Westside program does. You train mostly in the 50-75 percent range and the important part is keeping the "bar speed" up. Once the barbell slows down, you're no longer working the explosive component of your strength. Does anyone here remember the HG Throwers Seminar at Pleasanton a few years ago when Dave Brown brought out the Tendo unit?

No? Here's a link: http://www.tendosports.com/TENDO-Units.html

Here's Jeremy Maclin using a Tendo Unit.



For explosive/throwing athletes the rule is to keep adding weight until the bar slows down. It's not about the absolute/grind it out/limit strength.