Integration Module

Today's brutally tough workout is brought to you courtesy of Starbucks, and by The Cure's 1989 album Disintegration, which I have been listening to since, well, 1989. The two go great together!

Mission Essential Gear
1 Russian Kettlebell, a Pull Up bar tall enough that you can hang fully extended from it, flat shoes or barefoot!

Pick one pull up variation and apply it for the duration: Close grip, wide grip, palms parallel to each other, or a jumping pull up.

Pull Up + Hanging Knee Raise x 3 sets of 3-5, resting 1:00 between [e.g. one pull up, one HKR, repeat for 3-5]

Staggered: [e.g. lunge, pull ups, rest :30, repeat]
Alternating Tactical Lunge x 3 sets of 10 each leg
Pull Up x 3 sets of 3

Alt. Tac. Lunge x :30, 2 Handed Hot Potato x :30, Pull Ups x :30, rest :30 ACTIVE, repeat for rounds in 10 minutes.

Hanging Knee raises 5 sets of 3 or 3 sets of 5, resting big between.

Follow these tips from Pavel for the Tactical Lunge:
Actively pull yourself down with your hip flexors
rather than yield to gravity. Use the enabling drill-
The KB knee lift. Put your foot inside a kettlebell’s
handle and lift the KB off the deck by pulling up
your knee. Place your hand on top of your thigh
and become aware of the working muscle, the
hip flexor.
If you have a bad back perform the drill lying
down: drag the kettlebell towards you.
Actively pull yourself down with the hip flexor of
the forward leg when stepping back.

Follow my tips for the hanging knee raise [HKR].
When hanging on the bar, before you yank yourself up to meet the rep standards, remember that you are performing a Hard Style HKR. You will not simply fold your hips and squeeze your abdomen. Here, you must generate tension, unreal tension, and squeeze the bar with your hands as hard as you squeeze your abdomen as you flex to complete the movement.

Your HKR Checklist:
Close grip, closer than your shoulder width.
Hanging fully extended, and tightened up, legs together, no momentum, no swinging.
SLOWLY and steadily, squeeze your whole body and round your back maximally, tighten the abs furtter and bring your knees as high as you may in a slow, controlled, SAFE fashion.
Imagine that, though your arms stay straight as you hang, you are pulling on the bar as you curl.
Keep a tight a grip and exhale MOST, but not all, of your air while raising the knees.
Keep the reps clean and the numbers low. Perfect practice brothers and sisters. . .

Not Guilty by reason of Insanity: The Feb. 29 Kettlebell Lesson.

Next Evolution: The Leap Day Night's "Not guilty by reason of insanity" S&C Class, Friday 29 February 2008. The last leap day this decade. Conducted by Us and You. If you read this post, you are invited. If you hear this from a friend, you are invited. If you are a record breaking bell savvy tough guy and you think your swing don't stink, you are invited.

Friday 29 February
1730 Hours [530 PM you nasty civilians]
Santa Monica Beach [at the KBLA training spot]
This will be a Last Night On Earth S&C extravaganza. There will be several RKCs in attendance, as well as numerous RKC Hopefuls. If you live in LA and you need the attention of an RKC, or if you plan to attend an RKC cert in the near future and you have not yet consulted one of us, this is your chance. If you are on this forum, and you live in Southern Cal, I urge you to come out. If you cannot make the 1730 start time, best put in that day-0ff request NOW. Seriously call the boss and tell him you are busy Friday afternoon, 29 February.

Tentative Schedule of Events:
Joint Mobility
Double Swing [inside and outside the legs]
Overhead Orientation
Cleaning [brief]
The KB Olympiad: Double Snatches, Double Clean and Yurk [alternating drills may also appear for well-versed kettlebell trainees]
Low-Tech High-Smoke "Evil Russian" conditioning segment using only Three Drills.
Serious post-workout unwinding.

North of Pico, at the Grassy Knoll south of the Pier. You may park at any of the lots off Ocean Ave., just be ready to pay the 5.50 to park. If you are a local, please use your smarts. this class will be 10.00 USD.

More details to follow
Please contact Will Williams 610.883.7455

Certified By the linked

Debrief for Saturday and Sunday 8 & 9 February 2008.

Saturday 1600 Hours
Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts, Marina Del Rey, CA.

Kettlebells for Ultimate Conditioning Workshop
Conducted by Instructors Williams and Garfield
9 in attendance, all with less than a month's kettlebell experience combined, save for a Crossfit devotee who had previously performed pulls paired with presses. Yeah.

1600-1615 Academician Amosov and Steve Maxwell's lovechild was loosed for our Joint Mobility. All reps in ten scheme unless noted otherwise.
-3 Plane Neck
-Shoulder circumduction
-Max Amplitude arm circles
-Max Amplitude torso rotations with arms at 180 degrees
-Good Morning x 2 sets of 5
-Standing Single Leg airborne circles x 5 reps in directions both counter and clockwise.

1615-1700 Instructor Garfield presents Kettlebell Pulls: From Zero to swing in 40 reps.
-Deadlift x 5
-Good Morning 2 of 5
-Deadlift x 2 of 5
-Good Morning x 5
-Live action swing 2 sets of 5 reps. Unleash hell.
-Two Handed Swing 4 sets of 10

-KB High Pull x 3 sets of 10
-Two Handed Hot Potato x 2 sets of :30
-Swing 1:00/High Pull :30/Hot Potato :30/Rest :45 [2 cycles]
BRUTALITY. I didn't think JG had it in him.

1700-1730 Instructor Williams presents Press Propaganda 138: Budgeting high tension techniques for pressing movements in High Rep.
-Squat [Breathing behind the shield, hip activation, depth, weight distribution, vertical shins, and crisp hip extension were all covered over 5 sets of 5 BW squats]
-Racking Bells [Safety Curl, Wrist/Elbow position, flared lats, wrist position, safety curl revisited, wrist position!]
-KB Front Squatting
-Budgeting breathing and tension to get SAFE high rep sets of KB Squats and Presses [single KB, e.g. 2 squats, 1 press, 3 squats, 2 presses]
1730-1735 recovery
1735-1752 Instructor Williams Conditioning Prac-App segment.
-At the request of the students this moment in time will not be revisited on this page [trauma victims]
1752-1800 Recovery
1800-1815 Instructor Garfield Conditioning Lab.
-At the request of the students this moment in time will not be revisited on this page [trauma victims]
1815-1830 Pumps, Safe back bending, intelligence gathering.

We knew the crowd was light on experience, and the final product reflected the influence of both our military training and the unwritten laws within the RKC guild that compel us all to reach for the internalization of strength training and use the toolbox to "condition" only after the Generally Issued Minimum has been nailed. In short, we took rookies and smoked them, while safely, into submission. Bodies once sprite with energy and vibe of life lay battered and discarded among the floors of the Academy. Smiles faded to winces and then devolved into grimaces upon application of the Two Handed Hot Potato, this instructors' drill of choice. We spared their lives only to prolong the suffering those unsuspecting peasants had been blanketed in. Upon exiting the facility, the prospect of training the same group again at a date not far off appeared promising.

7,200 kilograms Up, 72 down

Short Bursts today.
Climbed a hilltop at sunset and unloaded:
1/2 total work of the 50/50x6 retest sometime late next week.

24 KG for 300 reps
Snatch 25L rest :30
Snatch 25 L 25 R rest :45
Clean 25 L rest :30
Clean 25 L 25 R rest 1:15
Clean 25 R Swing 25 L rest 1:00
Swing 25 L 25 R rest 1:00
Swing 25 R done 19:00

Next Sessions' goal: 24KG

Racked Front Squat 25L rest :45
RFS 25L 25 R rest 1:00
RFS 25 R rest :45
Push Press 20 R rest :45
PP 20 R rest :45
PP 10 R 20L rest 1:00
PP 20 R rest :30
PP 10 R
Jerk 10L rest :30
Jerk 20 L rest :45
Jerk 20 L 10 R rest :45
Jerk 20 R rest :30
Jerk 20 R endex, mark time.

Tornado Jones

This is your workout. You lost the coin toss. Get scared, friend-o.

A: See Saw Push Up x 10 [1 rep = 1 push up for each side]
B: BW Deck Squat x 5L/5R [non-alternating, single leg descent-double leg return]
C: Heavy two handed swing x 10
Rest :45 between circuits, complete 5 circuits, mark time.

10 reps of each drill
D: Alternating KB Jerk ONE COUNT*
E: Tactical Lunge left
F: Tactical Lunge right
G: Pump (downward facing dog to Up Dog, stiff, straight arms).
Rest 1:00 between each run, completing 3 circuits.

Rotational Towel Swings, eyes closed [outdoors]
3 sets of 10/10 (counter and clockwise)

*One count cadences are used on bilateral drills where the eccentric portion of the e.g. right side repetition runs concurrent with the concentric portion of the alternate, or left side repetition. In regard to this style of alternating KB jerk, visualize if you must, how the following instructions may appear.

Clean and rack two kettlebells. Properly jerk one bell and secure it overhead [bell A].
As bell A returns to the rack and you dip with the same hip/knee/ankle flexion to receive the bell as you did to jerk it, use this portion to load up for the jerk of Bell B. This has also been referred to as Rapid Fire. Imagine both bells, in constant motion though always moving in opposite directions. As one bell drops from the overhead lockout and is met with a tight body moving away from the bell to cushion it, the other bell is loaded up with that same hip dip and ultimately jerked overhead. When performed correctly, and if the user has rhythm, sets of the one count alternating Yurk will have you tasting yesterdays breakfast. OOH RAH.

Bottoms-Up Snatch Rockets

Sit-rep for Woodley park 1730 hours: facility is equipped with every amenity a naked or bare-balled warrior could wish for. 6 pull up stations all varying in height and thickness of the bar. One bar is like 10' high and a 10" diameter. No shit. Also, parallell bars, a station for performing body-weight rows or elevated push ups, a trio of railroad ties embedded into the dirt and protruding at heights which inspire drills such as rocking pistol modifications, one armed push ups, and devices of the like. The parallel bar work this afternoon was a noteworthy experience. As I walked the length of the 12 feet, parallel pipes I utilzed high tension techniques such as the hollow, irradiation from my grip to my lat and back down, and adductor muscles in my leg and up into my abs were firing to keep my sway minimal. Turkish Get Ups were extraordinarily brutal, as were the pull ups. Pull ups are, and always have been, a bastard for me. This is the menu from my afternoon delight. It may not appear uniform or symmetrical, but I urge you to imagine the difficulty I had after stacking the parallel bar walk and the Lullaby.

24 Kg See Saw Press x5 x7 x7 Pull Up x1 x2 x3
Circuit Fashion:
Lullaby* x3 x5
Parallel Bar Walks x3 x5
Jumping Pull Ups [parallel grip] x3/3 x5 standard

10 Lullaby, felt it out. Had to remove my shoes.
TGU x 1RL x2RL x1RL
Pull Up x3 x2

KB Rows 24kg x 3 sets of 10 each arm.

*[TOP SECRET] drill regarding the need to get to the ground and back, as well as move shifty like while on the ground and mock escapes. Leg threading and prone UP position work.
Squat Thrust, Push Ups, Static Crab Walk 540 McTwist. Stand tall after each rep and shake it off. these are tough.

Squat Low, and shoot into your UP position: Push Up.
Perform a 360 degree turn in two directions. Spin around in a circle as well as turning through the crab walk back into an UP position, and then resume the squat thrust with
KNEES IN TO YOUR CHEST, KEEP YOUR BODY TIGHT AND ROCK BACK INTO THE BOTTOM OF A SQUAT, AND APPLY THE GRIND AS YOU SQUAT UP. Rinse and repeat.

Of prey and predators

Today was the day. I shifted my weight and was called mid-bluff and tried to graciously set my cards down and walk away, but the cantankerous element form that part of the saloon was loathe to give me room enough to bow out unnoticed. As all deputized men do when humbled by another student of the code, I bowed. The "Workout of the Day" brought to you by Crossfit Philly saw an output of a crummy 370 reps before I waved the white skivvy drawers in a moment of personal weakness. Those final 30 (out of a goal of 100 reps) kettlebell swings were not within my reach. And I chose to place the swings at the end of the session. "Swings will be a dream to finish up with!" I said, feeling just as lame when I bailed out as I sounded when I spout out such horse pucky. You got me. You really got me now.

100 Snatches, 100 front squats, 100 cleans, 100 jerks, 100 swings.

That is what it said, courtesy of Mike Stehle, on the Party line. I opted to merge the C with the J and mine went like this:

24KG
100 Snatches S&M set* in 4:40, rest 1:30
100 Front Squats [4 sets of 25] rest 1:00 between, total time=13:50
100 Clean and Jerks x 15L 15R 15L 15R rest 1:00 10L 10R 10L 10R rest 1:40, total time 25:25
70/100 Swings x 30 rest :45 x 30 rest LONG, knew my SI joint was registering pain. It was a warning I had to follow. I busted another 5 reps and that was it. I surrendered on video. My body bowed to a Crossfit workout today. Time at termination 31:18.

*The Steve Maxwell 100 snatch set is 20l, 20r, 15l, 15r, 10l, 10r, 5l, 5r in one horrifically memorable set. Your bell does not rerenter the ground's atmosphere until you have three digits up, a pair of goose eggs makes it real. Many hard asses can unload these in less than 4:00. Today I slid into overdrive after my S&M set, thank you.

Mike Stehle RKC Team Leader clocked out of work at 38:18 with a tasty 32 kilograms of girya.

The O and the D

Victorious were they who reverted to training under stress. We watched, I with the hungry eye of a student, as UFC 81 played out on the huge TV in Justin's living room. This was the night where worlds collided. A sports entertainment juggernaut and a fighter who most have written off since a career jarring 2004 motorcycle accident went to the mattresses in front of countless pairs of eyes, all looking forward to the imminent crossover of many athletes from other arenas into the octagon. Soon ex-Footballers and basketballers and all types will step into the 8 sided beast and get reckoned with. Yes gilrs, The UFC has just established itself as Home Base for mixed martial arts and revenue generating events both live and Pay Per View. Aside from the dollar signs climbing over each other like refugees, viewers were assaulted with testaments to the value of a background in Brazilan Jiu-Jitsu. Both fights occupying the headline featured sound and clinic-worthy Jits practiced by big slabs of beef. 255 lb. Frank Mir's first round win by submission over WWF?E? competitor(?) Brock Lesnar, a top heavy but graceful 265 and 244 pound bully Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's public undressing of the motor skill deficient Tim Sylvia are two fights that will undoubtedly serve the future of fighting better as textbook aids than highlight reels. Don't mistake my degradation of the value of the fight for replay purposes for dissatisfaction with the matchplay-I thought the two heavyweight bouts were excellent selections for my research. To see a two-hunned-forty plus pounds 'Minotauro' climb around a floored opponent with cucumberesque temperature and then bend the guy into crying uncle is a sight. And the 'return' as some have dubbed this, of Frank Mir also gave us a look into what happens when two hulking mammals, both skilled on the ground, are told to battle for dinner: the fluid, patient jiu-jitsu defense of Mir, reminiscent of those impenetrable, trapping defenses the New Jersey Devils employed en route to multiple Stanley Cups, served to drop and tap the mobile beast Lesnar. And only moments after the former NCAA wrestling champ was atop Frank Mir's guard, pounding points away from himself in what looked to be a Tango Kilo Oscar. But as Lesnar was reset by the ref and the fight again went to the ground, apparently on the terms of both athletes, it was a veteran moment of poised hesitance by Mir that fed him a vulnerable leg from Lesnar that was pulled into submission. An excellent end to a career friendly fight from both blokes. Minotauro Nogueira, at work on Tim Sylvia at the end of that fight, has me beyond stoked to begin Brazilain Jiu Jitsu in a formal manner. He went up one side of that dude, and came down the other. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's mastery of BJJ was on display as much as that unclaimed title was up for grabs. Minotauro floated over Sylvia while he lay on his back, pinned by Nogueira's strength and outfoxed by his slippery attack. It was a right bloody demonstration of offensive jiu-jitsu.