Kendall Giles

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was a summary of Days 57-59.

I've been doing some crazy work and travel over the past few days, so I just now have a chance to post a summary of what I've been up to, fitness-wise.

Two days ago was TRX Day 57, the start of the TRX FORCE program Week 9.

I started out with a kettlebell routine of 2,2 Turkish Getups with the 24KG kettlebell, follwed by 3x5,5 ladders of kettlebell cleans with the 32KG kettlebell. I needed to work on my press, so I then did 5x3,3 military presses with the 24KG kettlebell. Then I moved on to the TRX.

TRX Week 9, Day 57, ramps things up with another reduction in rest between sets and between exercises. In fact, three exercises were combined into one big superset: hamstring curls, hip crunches, and hamstring bicycles, all back-to-back. But even though this was the most intense of the weeks so far, and though my legs were really burned out after the superset, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I finished things off with a 5K jog.

For Day 58, I only had time for the TRX Day 2 of Week 9. This also saw a reduction in rest between sets and between exercises, and today had a superset of shoulder exercises. Again, I made it through, but I did not appreciate the ending oblique pikes with saw.

Day 59 was supposed to be a rest day, and so I did rest from doing TRX and kettlebells. But I really needed to get in some miles to get ready for my upcoming 10-miler, and I ended up running about 5 miles today - the longest I've ever run so far. I took a slow pace, but made it without stopping along the way.

I say about 5 miles because I am really not sure the true mileage. I set my iPod for a 5 mile run and was really happy when I heard from my iPod that I completed my goal, but was dismayed when the treadmill only registered 4.5 miles. So, in order to get a psychological win, I went ahead and kept going until my treadmill also said 5 miles. So I either ran 5.7 miles or 5.1 miles, assuming one of the two devices is correct. For a warm-down, I swam a leisurely 500M.

But my adventures in running bring up a more important point. And that is, what motivational music should I be listening to? On my run today, where I was trying to run longer than I had ever run before, I really struggled. I was hoping that my music playlist would carry me through the difficult patches, but just when I needed that psychological boost, on came Girlfriend in a Coma by The Smiths.

Yes, the title of the song is telling. I was hoping for music to distract me from worrying about having a heart attack while mid-stride, but a song about teen angst really wasn't much of a lift. And when I thought it couldn't get worse, then came Death of a Disco Dancer, by The Smiths. So, no more The Smiths while running. I then switched to an audio version of The Wall Street Journal and, while it was a little down due to the current economy, it actually wasn't as bad as those death depression songs.

But this makes me wonder - what are *good* motivational songs I should be listening to? I.e., what are Songs to Run By? If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

UPDATE: Mistress Laura gives some insights into and examples of motivational music. Game on!

Finally, I made a simple video about how to anchor the TRX FORCE fitness suspension system:

Note especially, for maximum stability, how I place the Door Anchor on the side of the door closer to the hinges and with the door opening away from me.

Enjoy!

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 60.

Today was a repeat of Monday's TRX strength workout --- nothing really new to report there.

But the big news (to me) is that today I made it to 10 sets of 10 snatches on the minute with the 24KG kettlebell. I know this isn't really that big of a deal to most kettlebellers, but just 3.5 weeks ago RKC Sandy Sommer showed me how to snatch the 24KG kettlebell, so being able to snatch 5,291 pounds in 10 minutes is an accomplishment for me. But, yes, that's just half-way to my goal of being able to kettlebell snatch 5,291 pounds in 5 minutes.

Onwards and upwards.

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 61.

My goal for today was to make it through 20 minutes of swings with the 32KG kettlebell. Alas, my gas tank was empty, and I only made it to 15 minutes of 10 swings on the minute, or 150 swings with the 32KG kettlebell. That's 10,582 pounds moved in 15 minutes. That's a high-water mark for me, but I really need to do a lot better. I stopped at 15 minutes rather than have sloppy form and risk injury. Plus, Pavel, in Power to the People! : Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American, has good insights into why it is wrong to train to failure. So I'll work to get to my swing goal next week.

After swings I moved to Day 2 of TRX FORCE program Week 9. Today was a superset on shoulders. I made it through the exercises at the required pace, but with low energy reserves I otherwise had no spring in my step at all.

They say rest days are important, so I am definitely looking forward to them this week!

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 64.

Somewhere in my recent travels I picked up a head cold. Blah. But, I didn't want to lose any ground, so decided to push through the workout as planned, though perhaps I didn't have as much pep in my step as I had hoped.

I started out with 3x5 kettlebell cleans with the 32KG kettlebell. While I still can't press the thing, I do feel that sticking with cleans to get me used to the weight is paying off, since now I can pass the kettlebell to my other hand without having to first put it down on the ground. More interesting is the little trick I am working on to help save my hands.

While kettlebells are the most effective way to build strength and endurance I've found so far, one artifact of their use is that you really need to take care of your hands. Because the handle of the kettlebell rotates in your hand as you do your exercises, especially with a heavier weight or with high volumes of reps, calluses will develop on your hands. Left unchecked, those calluses will grow and eventually tear, at a minimum causing you to miss days of training.

I've been trying as best I can to keep my hands from shredding, mostly by knocking down calluses with the magical Ped Egg and with frequent application of good old Corn Huskers lotion, but still, especially when working with the 32KG kettlebell, I tended to tear the skin on my palms at the base of my fingers.

I didn't want to have to resort to superglue to keep the workout going, so I modified my technique slightly and so far this new technique is paying off wonderfully. Basically, when the kettlebell is in the loaded clean/press/snatch position, the handle is resting across the palm of my hand. No problem. But when I would rotate the kettlebell down to the ground or through my legs for another rep, the portion of skin on my palm at the base of my middle finger especially would get the most friction, causing heavy calluses and eventual ripping. So now, with my new (experimental) technique, as I am rotating the kettlebell down I transition the kettlebell handle from across my palm onto my fingers, effectively missing the previous high-friction point where my fingers join the palm.

This is hard to describe in writing, but it is almost like I lose contact with the kettlebell for an instant, and in that instant my hand shifts its contact with the kettlebell handle to transition from palm to fingers on the way down, and from fingers to palm on the way back up, allowing for (so far!) tear-free kettlebell happiness. I am still working on perfecting this motion, as I need to build up more strength in my fingers, but this, along with the above hand care tips, seems like a winning combination.

After kettlebell cleans I also did 3 sets of 5 kettlebell presses with the 24KG kettlebell.

Following kettlebells, I did TRX Day 64, which is the start of week 10. Week 10 is actually a repeat of week 9, and the repetition allows your body to adjust to the big increase in intensity started in week 9. Nothing really exciting to report --- the hardest part was the superset on legs. But I was also happy to have a wobble- and crash-free double set of side planks, though from previous attempts at that exercise I had developed a good rear-end-crash-landing technique that I am rather proud of.

I ended the workout with about a 3 mile jog. In previous runs I had ended up holding my iPod Touch in my hands as I ran --- kind of annoying. So today I tested the Nathan Gel Waist Pack, and it worked very well. My iPod Touch didn't bounce around and I didn't even notice that I was wearing the pack. In addition to the iPod Touch, I'll have room for car keys, ID, and money, and maybe another small item or two. Very happy with this product.

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Yesterday was Day 65.

Today is a rest day, and I am doing just that.

I don't know if it was the intense August heat we had yesterday, or the fact that I am still fighting off a cold, but I had no energy going in to my workout. I was determined not to lose ground, so I repeated 10 minutes of 10 snatches with the 24KG kettlebell. However, I really wanted to quit by the 8th minute, and my form was starting to crumble on the 10th minute, so that ended the day's kettlebell workout.

I then moved on to the TRX workout and did day two of week 10 of the FORCE program. The superset was for shoulders, but still the worst part was the suspended pikes at the end.

So, nothing too noteworthy, just trying to hold my ground fitness-wise amid high heat/humidity and illness recovery. So, really glad today is a rest day.

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 67.

So I got tired of being sick, and tried something a little different today. I've been getting used to my new 32KG kettlebell, mostly by doing cleans and swings. I'd like to be able to work up to doing presses with this weight kettlebell also, so today I tried a clean-and-push-press. This was a big weight jump for me, but I did 5x1,1 of these clean-and-push-presses, holding the kettlebell a few seconds in the lock-out position, and then trying to go slowly on the way back down to the clean position. This seemed to work, and I was happy to see that weight go up into the air, even if it wasn't a strict press. But the trouble came when I also tried to cut my time in doing swings with the 32KG kettlebell.

Up until now I've been doing 10 swings on the minute with the 32KG kettlebell. Last week I made it through 15 minutes of these swings at this pace. So today I thought I would try cutting my rest time, doing sets of 20 swings on the minute with the 32KG kettlebell instead of 10 swings on the minute. My goal was to make 5 minutes.

Unfortunately, by minute 4 my lungs were on fire and just a few swings into the last minute I lost my grip. It happened so fast --- I was tired and it was really humid/slippery, and suddenly one hand lost its grip. Luckily, I managed to hang on with the other hand and get the kettlebell to the ground without it being launched across the room. And, double-luckily, today I was working out in the garage rather than inside the house. While this meant it was warmer and more humid, had I sent a 70.5 pound cannonball sailing across the living room, I think my wife would not let me live to lift another day.

In the garage I was doing my swings on two rubber mats (like the mats that go under gym equipment or that you do yoga on), and the kettlebell cut through both layers. But the concrete below, and my toes, are fine. In the end, I'll just say that's 5,643 pounds lifted in 4 minutes.

I've never had my grip fail before --- this gives me new insight into the importance of not training to failure. Now I know to worry about failure of the exercise action *as well as* failure of the grip. Hmmm.

After that, I moved on to the TRX, and did the day 1 workout of week 10 of the FORCE program. Nothing too spectacular --- a superset on legs was the high point.

Finally, after the TRX I ran about 3.7 miles (about an average between my Nike+iPod foot sensor and the treadmill).

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 70.

Although I was supposed to do a TRX workout on Friday, a crazy travel schedule kept me from it. But I got in a workout first thing Saturday morning, yesterday, so that was the last strength workout of the TRX program for week 10. Just two more weeks to go!

I was supposed to have rested today, but I am getting nervous that my schedule is not allowing me to get in enough runs, so today I did about 5.5 miles outside. Though it got really hot today, I started my run about 10:30 AM, so only got a taste of the heat.

I note that a lot of folks around here let their dogs run free, and someone jogging down the road with nice juicy (to them perhaps) ankles is evidently too tempting a target. So when I run outside I have to carry a stick, just in case.

I haven't had to use it yet --- one dog stopped about 20 feet from me, perhaps after noticing I could defend myself if needed. It's actually not too much of a bother to run with a stick, and switching the stick from one hand to another is a nice distraction from the signals from my legs to stop running!

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 71.

First, the good news.

The kettlebell workout went well today. I managed three ladders with two rungs of clean and push-presses with the 32 KG kettlebell. That is a big weight for me, and so I was happy to see it go up twice, even if it was with a push. Also, I managed this time to make five minutes of 20 swings on the minute with the 32 KG kettlebell. Last time I tried this, I lost my grip and my attempt came to a crashing end. This time I made sure to dry the kettlebell between minutes and otherwise held on for dear life. By minute five my lungs were on fire and my swing form started to break down, but I made it to the end. So that was about 7,054.8 pounds lifted in five minutes.

Second, the not-so-good news.

My euphoria about surviving the 32 KG kettlebell quickly faded when I started workout one of week 11 of the TRX FORCE program. These are the final, toughest, two weeks of the program, and there is a big jump in pain administration in these workouts.

In general, the number of sets increased to three, the time between sets dropped --- in fact for most exercises the rest time between sets dropped to zero seconds, and the rest time between exercises dropped to just 30 seconds, which amounts to just enough time to make adjustments to the TRX cables and grab a swig of water before jumping back into the fray.

So with yesterday's run, and today's kettlebell workout, today's big ramp-up in TRX misery really drained everything I had. But this is what the TRX is all about --- maximizing the body's functional performance and teaching you to reach further when you would normally just stop and rest.

I completed all the exercises and reps, but it wasn't pretty.

So hopefully by the end of week 12 I will be able to master this workout. That's my goal!

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 74.

I've been doing crazy travel for the last couple of days, but I did manage the following:

Two days ago, on Tuesday, I did TRX workout 2 of week 11: another humbling, crumbling, mass of exercises with multiple sets with some/no rest and minimal rest between exercises. But this day was mostly upper-body, so to me it wasn't as bad as the lower-body supersets-of-death on workout 1 of week 11.

Wednesday was a rest/travel day, and Thursday (today) was another crazy travel day. So I am postponing my regular TRX workout until tomorrow, but I did manage to get in some exercise today, however minimal.

First, as something different, I did 40 minutes on the rowing machine. I've never done this before, so I don't know what to expect. While it did not seem that strenuous, when I moved to kettlebell snatches, I could only manage eight minutes of 10 snatches with the 24KG kettlebell on the minute. Perhaps it was the 93F heat, perhaps it was the rowing workout prior, perhaps it was the travel, but when my form started to lapse, I stopped.

More travel tomorrow, but I hope to get in my TRX workout when I get to my destination.

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 76.

After my long drive yesterday, I managed to get in a kettlebell and TRX workout. I was going to run also, but the heat ran that idea into the ground.

For kettlebells, since I need to strengthen my grip (noted after my trouble with the 32KG kettlebell) I did 20 minutes of 10 single arm swings per minute with the 24KG kettlebell. This was not particularly difficult, but by the end I did notice fatigue in my grip. So hopefully this nice long burn will help. And that's 10,582 pounds lifted in 20 minutes.

I also completed workout 1 of the TRX FORCE program week 11. This was another no-rest killer leg workout. Ya, that's another reason I decided not to run.

However, today was not as hot out, so I got in a 6.75 mile run, right before the thunderstorm. That's 67.5% of the way towards my goal of being able to run 10 miles.

The run was pretty uneventful, other than some technical difficulties with my iPod Touch. I found out that the iPod Touch interface is almost impossible to use when everything is soaking wet. Need to work on a solution for that.

After my run I did workout 2 of the TRX FORCE program week 11 program. Luckily, today was a superset on upper-body, which was good since my legs were pretty shot after the run. Also, happily, this is the end of week 11. Just one more week to go in the TRX program!

So I mentioned that I am evaluating a TRX suspension system, by Fitness Anywhere, via a 12-week fitness program (FORCE). Today was Day 82.

The first week of the fall semester is always one of bedlam, slipping schedules, and unexpected emergencies. This week was no exception to this expectation. So I wasn't able to manage more-frequent updates, and this one will be pretty succinct.

But I have managed to get in some training, however meager.

Tuesday I started out with 5 clean and push-press ladders of 2 rungs each with the 32KG kettlebell, which means that the next time I do clean and push-press ladders I should increase the number of rungs on the ladder. I also tried to work on my grip by doing single-arm swings, but I only managed 5 minutes of 10 single-arm swings per minute with the 32KG kettlebell before my grip gave out. I then ran about 2.7 miles, varying the tempo of my speed as I ran. I also did TRX workout 1 of week 12 of the TRX force program. As in week 11, I was pretty beat by the workout.

Wednesday, fitness-wise, I managed workout 2 of TRX FORCE program week 12, 5 minutes of 10 high pulls per minute with the 24KG kettlebell, and did about 30 minutes of rowing.

Today, Thursday, Day 82, I did 3 clean and push-press ladders with 3 rungs with the 32KG kettlebell. I also did 20 minutes of 10 swings per minute with the 32KG kettlebell, or 14,109.58 pounds lifted in 20 minutes. I also did 30 minutes of rowing, and TRX workout 1 of week 12 of the FORCE program. Nothing too exciting - just trying to get my workouts in under very compressed and hectic schedules.

I am noting that with my schedule I am only making one or two runs per week. Not the best training program if I am trying to work up to a 10-miler! September, the month of my 10-miler race, will no doubt be interesting.