Concept 2 1K row new PB

I have finally committed to a flat out 1K row to prove to myself that kettlebell training and Concept 2 rowing compliment each other. I have had minimal training on the rower over the last 4 to 6 months. My training has centered around kettlebells and traditional weight training.
Today, with some encouragement from my friend Charlie, I set out to row a fast 1K.
Now, this is a tough one. Really commit to this and it is exhausting. Lactic acid builds up in your thighs, your lungs will be bursting, your heart will be pounding.
My opening pace for the first 200 metres was 1.29 per 500 metres. This slipped to 1.31 for the second 200 metres. The third 200 metres came in at about 1.33 followed by a 1.34 and a 1.35. The time for the 1000 metres was 3.03.06 a new PB for me. My previous PB was 3.04.06 and that followed 8 intense weeks of training on the Concept 2 rower following an interactive programme from there website. That's a full second quicker, quite a margin.

So, in conclusion, kettlebell training is clearly conducive to maintaining rowing fitness. The cross over effect is indisputable in my opinion. Would I use kettlebell training exclusively to train for this years BIRC? of course not but they will certainly compliment it and probably help me produce a faster time than using the rower in isolation.

Here is the link to my ranking on the Concept 2 ranking page.
http://www.concept2.com/sranking03/get_wrankings.asp

Great kettlebell leg workout

Hi, it's been a while since I put fingers to keypad and wrote anything so I thought I would share with you a very intense kettlebell leg workout I did today in my garden.
Once I had gone through a mobility drill, I warmed up with some squats and swings.
OK, first up were 4 sets of pistol squats. These, for me, are still very much a work in progress. They are very intense since they require strength, stability and flexibility. I have always had the strength due to years of single leg, leg presses and lunges but initially struggled with stability and flexibility. Unfortunately the latter is still an issue and as a result I pistol squat off of a step to allow my non working leg to remain off the ground.
I did 4 sets of 10 reps with each leg switching immediately from one leg to the other. I used a 12KG kettlebell at chest level.

I then allowed 2 minutes rest before starting exercise number 2.
4 sets of double lunges. A double lunge meaning a forward lunge followed by a reverse lunge. I didn't allow my foot to centre between the forward and rearward lunge but instead swept it through in one smooth movement. This was a killer and really required a lot of concentration to keep things smooth and strict. I used two 16 KG kettlebells in the racked position for this exercise.

Third exercise was a front squat. Performed hard style, nice and slowly with maximum tension. Three sets of these finished my thighs off nicely. Two 20 KG kettlebell's were held in the rack position for this exercise

Forth and final exercise was a stiff leg kettlebell deadlift, again performed with maximum tension and concentration. I used a 32 KG kettlebell for this one.

That was basically it. Very much a strength endurance workout this one with one minute rests between sets and two minute rests between the different exercises.
Having said that, it still had my heart and lungs working hard as is always the case when you perform a tough leg workout.

So to summarise:

Pistol squat 4 sets with weight 10-15 reps
Double lunge 4 sets with two kettlebell's held in racked position 10-15 reps
Front squat 3 sets with two kettlebell's held in racked position
Stiff leg deadlift 4 sets working with one kettlebell

Just a quick mention about my 1K row that I said I would be doing on a previous blog.
This will be happening this week. I have had minimal rowing sessions so still believe it will be a valid test demonstrating the crossover effect between kettlebells and rowing.
Check bac in a few days for the results.

15:15 VO2max protocol

I tried something new today, in fact it's a workout borrowed from the mind of Kenneth Jay.
A very simple session but very effective nonetheless.
It consists of 80 sets of 7 reps with a 16 kg kettlebell (or whatever you can manage)
Set your interval timer, if you have one, for 15 seconds rest followed by 15 seconds work period x 80. Seven reps per set will equate to 560 snatches. Alternate arms so you work both sides equally. I averaged 165 BPM heart rate during the session and hit a peak of 175. It's a tough workout which will really get your cardiovascular system working but at the same time the ramp up rate on the heart is quite gentle due to the short work periods. My heart rate seem to increase at quite a linear pace hitting about 160 by set 30. Once up there, that's where it stayed. I also did the session outside in a windy garden but still got a good sweat on.
By the time I got to the 60th set, my palms were starting to get a bit sore, but then, I don't usually rep such high numbers.
It's vital to remain disciplined throughout the session. It's all too easy to start getting sloppy as you get tired but the last rep should be as good as the first. If this can't be maintained, you're using too heavier a weight. Time to down size.
Next up will be an attempt at using the 20 kg kettlebell. This will be brutal but it's a challenge I am very much looking forward to.