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 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).