The sets down...and a whole world before me

Image from Flickr, by quinn.anya

I'm beat.  I feel it through out my entire body.  I feel it in new ways, and not just the physical.

My demons almost won, but I made a last ditch check and actually found out that I'm the one who has been winning lately.

Yeah, it's been a hell of a weekend.

Battling the demons

Image from Flickr, by oneselfsacrifice

 

Today was a workout day.  Two more sets down, and might could have banged out a third if I didn't decide to do stiff legged deadlifts instead of squats.  My lower back started twinging.  Stupid, right?

Live and learn.

Still, it was a decent enough workout and I'm pretty proud of it.  The shortening of the length for each exercise seems to be paying off.  All in all, I'm pretty happy about it all.

Yesterday, I wrote about my own past with body image issues, and if I'm completely honest those issues are still here.  Today, while lifting that kettlebell, it was easy to see me slaying the demons.

Sometimes, less is more

Image from Flickr, by sierrafit

I said I needed to kick my training into high gear, and as I woke up this morning, I hit on exactly how to do just that.

You see, it's like the old saying goes, "less is more" sometimes.

Let me explain.

I had been doing all my exercises for one minute at a time, then transitioning to the next exercise.  I was becoming flustered because it seemed like I was getting less reps in during that minute.  What I realized was that I was pushing for to long at a time.  My muscles were giving up, and I was probably depleting glycogen stores rather quickly, so I was getting less done.

So, I decided to change things up.

Need to kick it into high gear

Image from Flickr, by cogdogblog

I'm a little late posting today, mostly because it's been "one of those days".  Family drama and whatnot.  It's enough to take you out of the zone you actually want your brain in when you're training.

However, it's also a way to recognize some cold realities about your training that you would miss in most other circumstances.

For me, it was the latter.

The joys of training

Image from Flickr, by buzzthrill

"I'm so exhausted!"

You've heard people say it, right?  You've probably said it.  I know I have. 

The problem is, they're complaining rather than bragging. 

The tired feeling?  You feel it after a training session.  It's not a bad thing.  It's the wages of hard training.  It's the price you pay for getting fit.  Rather than money, which you never get back, it's energy that will return shortly.

Today's workout and an initial review of Tai Chi

Image from Flickr, by Chefzwerg

First, my workout.  No pain, except for the good kind. 

I asked for a lot of advice on Google+, and got some great advice.  I decided to try kettlebell swings again today, focusing primarily on form.  I have a tendency to get sloppy and not realize it, so I spent extra time focused on my form.  No pain at all.

So, either form was the problem, or it was something else completely separate from the exercise.  I can live with that.

Strength is great...but so is flexibility, right?

Image from Flickr, by mikebaird

I've talked a lot about strength training with kettlebells and how they're also great for cardiovascular health.  However, at this point I find them lacking in one area of overall fitness, and that's flexibility.

This isn't a knock on kettlebells either.  In truth, few strength training programs do a good job of working on flexibility.  It's really a case of them being opposites in a lot of ways.

That's why, starting today, I'll be implementing Tai Chi as part of my overall fitness plan.

Why Tai Chi and not yoga?

Just a single set today

Image from Flickr, by Lars Plougmann

Today, I managed just a single set.  Unsurprising, to say the least, but I just couldn't do any more.  I felt pain, and I mean the bad kind.  Right in the pelvis during my swings.  I've felt a twinge there a time or two, but nothing like this time.  Ouch.

If anyone has any feedback on this, whether it may be technique or something else, please let me know.

Other than that though, it wasn't bad.  I dragged tail on my military presses, particularly my right arm (I'm right handed), and I have no freaking clue why, unless I just blasted things to much on Monday.

Tomorrow's workout

Image from Flickr, by FtCarsonPAO

After the fiasco of yesterday's workout, and the previously mentioned screw up, it's time to review what I was trying to do.  So, I've simplified it a good bit.

Simplicity is easier to remember, and that means I'll be able to keep track of what's supposed to be done.

Here it is:

• Kettlebell swing
• Kettlebell military press
• Kettlebell row
• Kettlebell goblet squat
• Around the worlds

Each exercise will be done for one minute each with a two minute rest between each circuit.

Ouch!!

Image from Flickr, by Instant Vantage

Alright, I hurt.

It's the good kind of hurt though.  The soreness that accompanies a tough workout is a welcome friend to an extent, but like a Christmas guest that's still hanging out at your at Valentine's Day, I'm ready for it to go.

It was a killer workout yesterday, with the results just being here today.  However, it's worth it.

No matter how much you want it otherwise, great things don't come easily.  If they did, they wouldn't be worth a thing.  The soreness I feel?  That's just the price I pay for getting where I want to be.

Today's workout and how I screwed up

So, yesterday I outlined my workout.  Unfortunately, the version that actually got published wasn't what I meant to be published.  No, that version was really to much.  Um...oops?

Yeah, I'm sorry about that one guys.

You see, that was a first draft, but after a bit more research, I found that I had too many exercises.  This is a potential problem when you're creating on your own.  Luckily, I continued to research and realized that I might be overdoing it with that.

Here's what was published yesterday:

Monday's workout

Image from Flickr, by kl.fitness

So, last week I killed my old workout routine.  It's dead.  Gone.  Adios.  Do svidan’ya.  Au revoir. 

Now, it's on to something more.  So, I spent some of my time today - the time I wasn't writing to you good folks - researching what my new workout routine would be.

This is a three times a week workout, and total body at that.  So far, that seems to be sufficient, with a day of rest between workouts also being sufficient.  This might change all of that, but if that's the case, I'll learn to adapt.

Here's the new routine:

This is Sparta!

Image from Flickr, by pasukaru76

Why train?

It's a fair question.  Obviously, the answers are often "health" or "lose weight" and so on, and there's nothing wrong with that.  However, athletes often thrive most when they have an event they're trying for, and we are athletes, right?

That's why I've got my target set for a Spartan Race in my future.

Time to brag!

Milestone image from Flickr, by Smabs Sputzer

I detailed my workout a while back.  It was a beginners kettlebell workout that I cooked up on my own.  It's probably not the best, but it sure did kick my butt the first day.  I had to crawl over to the couch.  So much for active rest that day, let me tell you.

For those of you who don't really want to click the links, here's what my workout consisted of:

The only easy day

Image from Flickr, by Rennett Stowe

I'm a Navy man.  You may not have known that about me, but I am.  I did my enlistment as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, but there was a part of me that dreamed about becoming a Navy SEAL.  During their training, there is a sign that says "The only easy day was yesterday."  The idea is that each and every day is progressively more difficult.

What does this have to do with your training?

How about the fact that you need to embrace the same philosophy, for starters.

The difference between pain and PAIN

Image from Flickr, by CGehlen

"No pain, no gain."

We've all heard it, and to some extent, it's true.  If you're training hard, you're going to feel a little pain.  You'll feel the burn of your muscles, and you'll fee soreness the next day.  Unfortunately, the "no pain, no gain" attitude can also result in a very different kind of pain.

One of the most important lesson a novice trainer can learn is the difference.