November is Program Minimum Month!

Program Minimum 
Nugent Style
 

Join along for a month of in-depth strength and mobility work!

Do you track your workouts? Create a Beyond the Whiteboard account and start measuring!  How do you know if you've been successful if you don't know where you've been?  TRACK IT!

November we're going to focus on two key movements: the kettlebell swing and the Turkish get-up.

Starting November 1st we start swings with "20 on the 90".  This is going to be a staple for the swing portion and you will see this workout pop-up a few times.  Rounds are adjustable, the bell weight is what you can comfortably swing.  Remember, form is key!

Equipment

• Two kettlebells, heavy and light.  You decide what that means.
• Jump rope
• Low profile shoes - Vibram 5 fingers, Chuck Taylors, Wrestling Shoes  

Testing - optional, but encouraged
One more thing.  

To make this measurable, I will be adding a pre-test this weekend, and then repeating it at the end of the month.   Two tests, each performed within an hour of each other:

• Find 1 rep max for deadlift
• 1 mile run for time

These tests may not be important to you, so use something that will help you make a baseline.  Maybe it's a max rep test for pull-ups, or maybe it's something specific to your sport (i.e. a 10 mile cycling time trial).  The important thing is that you give yourself something to gauge your fitness, before and after the program.


When you're done, email or comment with your progress.

Watch this:





Good luck!
-Brandon

Sticking With A Program

Want something to work?

Want to see change in your performance, your appearance, how you feel?

Find a program and stick with it.  For a month.  It almost doesn't matter what it is, just stick to it.  Granted there are going to be a few times where you just can't fathom doing X, Y, and Z one more time, but it's short lived.  Do it anyway and suck it up, because you know you're only doing it for a month.

What happens at the end of the month?  You evaluate it.  You make a decision whether that program helped you in anyway.  If it got you closer to your goals, or you met them, congratulate yourself, then think about your next set of goals

It's important to measure, to test if what you are doing is making a positive impact.

One more thing.

It's critical that you do this.

Make your commitment PUBLIC.  Facebook it.  Tweet it.  Blog it.  Tell your cat.  Make sure people know that you are on a mission and you need their support.  It will be very hard for you to back out of your goal once that ball has been thrown.
 

An Example
November is going to be the month where I return to the kettlebell for my strength and conditioning training.

I'll be using Program Minimum From "Enter The Kettlebell".

I have two goals:

• run a mile under 6 minutes.
• deadlift 405lbs

This Halloween weekend I will be testing my deadlift and my mile time.  Times will be posted here.  If I make either goal, I will move onto my next set of goals:  Pressing the 2 pood (32kg kettlebell) and preparing for the 2011 racing season (i.e. Western States 100 depending on the December 4th Lottery).  Most likely, the first two goals will provide plenty to focus on.

A Thank-you
Special thanks to Dan John for writing his book "Never Let Go".  It's a book I will not be lending out anytime soon.  You really need to get a copy of it.  Read it.  Re-read.  This post is directly influenced by that book.

20 on the 90

This week's kettlebell workout involved a set of 20 kettlebell swings followed by one of 5 'recovery' exercises:

• Plank Hold
• Grapevine
• POSE hops
• Forward Pulls
• Shuttle Run

So, for 10 rounds, at the top of every 90 seconds, swing a kettlebell of your choice for 20 reps.  Aim for completion in 30 seconds.  Then fill the rest of the minute with a recovery exercise, moving onto the next one each round.

Have fun!

Almost an RKC Grad Workout?

Today I tried to conjure up what my grad workout would have been had it not been raining and we had the field to play in.

This is what I would have guessed it to be based on what others have said about their outside grad workout:

100 yard farmer carry to start

100 yards:

• 5 - Double kettlebell swings
• 3 - Double kettlebell cleans
• 1 - Double kettlebell military press
• 5 steps with bells locked out overhead
• Repeat above until distance is covered.

Grady: 9:35 with (2) 12kg
Cel: 13:09 with (2) 16kg
Brandon: 14:18 with (2) 20kg

Good times...