Turkish Get Up.

The benefits of the TGU. The TGU is a highly functional movement requiring all the muscles of the body to work together as one unit in order to complete the task. It will give you:

Greater strength, mobility and stability throughout your body, especially in your shoulders

Full body strength, working your legs, glutes, shoulders, core, back, triceps, and forearms

Improved flexibility Cardiovascular endurance Increased coordination and proprioceptive skills.

The TGU should be learnt alongside the swing in the early stages of your kettlebell training. In fact, as outlined above, it will give you the required shoulder stability you need before you ever do any kettlebell pressing movements. So, how do you start with this terrific exercise?
Initially with no weight. For point of visual reference, you could use one of the discarded shoes you have already taken off in order to perform kettlebell work. Bare feet, flat soled or one of the many minimalist shoes recently coming on to the market only please.

Simply hold the shoe up above you just as if it were a kettlebell. This will help you to maintain a straight arm position and allow you to fix your gaze onto something. Perform the exercise equally on both sides and try to resist the temptation to prioritise your predominant side.

Once you are confident with your form and it feels assured and smooth, progress to some weight. This could be a kettlebell or a light dumbbell. This exercise does translate better to dumbbells than the majority of kettlebell exercises.

How to do it: (For the purpose of description, I am describing a right handed TGU)

1. Lie on your back with a kettlebell positioned to the right of you and roll round to your right to face the kettlebell. Grasp with two hands and then roll back bringing the kettlebell to a position above your head. Once it’s steady remove the left hand. From this point on, keep the arm locked, do not take your eyes of the kettlebell and keep a strong straight wrist

2. Bend your right leg to a right angle and pull it in as close to your back side as possible. Keep the left leg straight and try to lengthen it as much as possible. Now actively pull your shoulder back into its socket by retracting your shoulder blade.

3. Now Imagine you have a pole projecting out of your opposing hip, in this case the left. Sway the arm towards this pole to produce some momentum. As you do so attempt to get up on to your left elbow using abdominal strength. Get it right and it should be fairly effortless. Remember to not allow your right leg to collapse inwards as you do this, keep it strong.

4. Once up on your elbow, push up onto your left hand. This should be at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground

5. Now push your hips upwards as high as possible. You should have a straight line from the kettlebell right down to the opposing hand that is in contact with the floor. From this point, sweep your left leg round and back underneath you, finishing up on your knee. The knee should end up in a position whereas you are able to so perform a lunge. Then simply straighten up your body. You should now be in the lunge position. Your eyes should still be focused on the kettlebell.

6. From here, squeeze the handle of the kettlebell hard. As you rise, grunt hard and maintain high intra-abdominal pressure. Stand up with the kettlebell, bringing both feet together. Lean back into the kettlebell as you stand. At this point which is the completion of the upward part of the movement, your eyes should be looking straight ahead. Pause and prepare to reverse the movement.

7. To reverse, drop back down to your left knee. Then place your left hand down.

8. Raise up the hips and then move your left leg back to the starting position. Drop, carefully back down to a sitting position, then your elbow and finally back down to a lying position.

9. From here adopt a two arm grip on the kettlebell and roll back round on your side to release the kettlebell. Remember the lift is not completed until the kettlebell is properly rested on the ground.

As with all single kettlebell exercises, remember to maintain the work load equally between the two sides. It’s OK to get the technique down on one side first but be sure that once you’ve done this that you switch to working both sides equally. You should never get to the position whereby you are lifting a 24KG with one side and only a 16KG on the other. Progress slowly with this exercise.

You should be able to perform multiple reps before attempting a new weight. There is no benefit in increasing the weight at the expense of correct form. This will inevitably lead to injury and a loss of training time. Incorporating the TGU into a workout.

I will often incorporate this exercise into a mixed kettlebell session. For example: Perform a single TGU on either side and then, with no rest, 1 minute of swings. Then 2 TGU’s followed by 2 sets of swings with 30 seconds rest between each swing set. Then continue in this fashion until you are up to 5 sets. Then, if you are feeling up to it, come back down the ladder until you hit 1 repetition again.
This is a great little combination, working the two of the best kettlebell exercises in a mini circuit.

Helpful tips
• Always start with minimal weight. Take off your shoes (you shouldn’t be wearing them anyway) and use one of them as an object to focus on.

• Constantly keep your eye on the kettlebell except for at the very top position. This will help prevent the kettlebell going wayward.

• Have a good sized workout space and be prepared to let the kettlebell go if you feel as though you are about to lose control of it so if you are worried about your parquet flooring then perhaps you could try it outside.

• Remember to keep your shoulder pulled down into its socket at all times.

• Keep a straight wrist and do not allow it to be pulled into extension.

• Start with a maximum of 5 reps per side and increase as and when your strength allows.

• As you move into each position, ask yourself, Could I sit here for a minute? If not, shift your position until you can.

Exercise ladders

First blog in an age! Bone idle? not exactly, I means lets face it, pressing a few keys is not exactly hard work. Writing something interesting is though and I want to keep the content interesting otherwise whats the point.

Okay, today I am going to tell you about a workout format I have been using a lot lately. I will also give you three examples of how to incorporate a lower body biased circuit, an upper body biased one and also a circuit which hits the cardio system very hard and is upper and lower body.

Generally choose 4-8 exercises. 4 is relatively quick whilst choose 8 and you're looking at training times approaching an hour, so quite long.

So here were my most recent lower body exercises for the lower body biased circuit.

EX 1:Goblet squat
EX 2:TRX Pistol left side
EX 3:TRX Pistol right side
EX 4:Double lunge on the left side
EX 5:Double lunge on the right side
EX 6:TRX Hamstring curls.

Perform EX 1 for a predetermined period. I usually opt for 30-40 seconds
Rest the same amount of time as your work period.
Transitional rest time only between exercises.

Perform EX 1 and 2. rest again.
Perform EX 1,2,3. rest again

Continue up to set 6. Now you will be performing quite a long set. 3 minutes if you opt for 30 second work periods.

Once you reach 6 exercises, have a double rest and then continue but now start from the back end, so EX 6 then 5,4,3,2,1 rest again then repeat but this time knock one off the back end so EX 6,5,4,3 and then 2
Continue like this until you have just the one exercise left.

So basically, it looks like this.

Goblet squat--1--1--1--1--1--1--6
Pistol L/H-----------2--2--2--2--2--5--5
Pistol R/H--------------3--3--3--3--4--4--4
Double lunge L/H--------4--4--4--3--3--3--3
Double lunge R/H------------5--5--2--2--2--2--2
TRX Hamstrings------------------6--1--1--1--1--1--1

Blogger may not be too kind to this table so I hope it's clear enough!

In a 6 exercise ladder, every body part gets worked 7 times.

Notes on exercises.

Goblet squat: go as deep as you can whist maintaining lower back integrity.
Bring your elbows down to the inside of your knees to help maintain the correct positioning.


TRX pistol: TRX works well here as opposed to a body weight or weighted pistol. As you get fatigued it's easier to keep form with a TRX unless of course you're a pistol master!

Double lunge: A terrific exercise. Rack a kettelbell as per normal. Take a forward lunge, push back but don't centre feet. Simply step back into a reverse lunge.
It takes a bit of practise getting the balance but once mastered, it's a real burner.
To make it even more intense, keep the hips low as you move from forward to reverse lunge.


TRX hamstring curls. These can be performed as in a bicycle motion or both legs at once.

Here is a format for upper body:

EX 1: TRX chest press
EX 2: TRX row
EX 3: Kettlebell clean and press L/H
EX 4: Kettlebell clean and press R/H
EX 5: Kettlebell upright row
EX 6: Kettlebell renegade row
EX 7: Bulgarian bag spins.

7 exercises here so longer than 6 by a significant margin.


Notes on exercises.
TRX chest press: Go as steeps as you can and maintain the same degree of angle throughout your workout.

TRX high row, Pull in strongly to chest, retracting your shoulder blades as you do so.

Kettlebell clean and press, Keep a high cadence by not going too heavy. Same size bell to be used throughout.

Kettlebell upright row. Start with kettlebell held in both hands in front of you. Pull up and over your head to arms length above you. Then bring back down, watching you don't bump yourself in the process.

Kettlebell renegade row. Very tough this one, especially in a circuit.
Really drive down on the non-working kettlebell as if you're trying to drive it into the ground. Then lift strongly with the other arm. Try to minimise rotation of the torso.

BuBulgarian bag spins, Half the work period in one direction and then reverse.

Combined upper/lower body cardio circuit

EX 1: Swing
EX 2: Clean, squat and press L/H
EX 3: Clean, squat and press R/H
EX 4: Snatch L/H
EX 5: Snatch R/H
EX 6: Burpee to high row

Use the same scheme as above, one size of kettlebell throughout and be prepared for a sustained high heart rate throughout. With one size bell throughout, you will only be as strong as your weakest link, usually pressing.

Notes on exercise.

Swing. Maintain a good cadence and aim for the same rep count every set.

Clean, squat and press.Squat as deep as your flexibility will allow.

Snatch, Heart rate will be severely elevated at this point so really focus on maintaining good form.

Burpee to row, Start with kettlebell at arms length in front of you. Drop it down to floor, maintain your upper body weight directly over the handle to prevent tipping. Jump back as in a burpee. Jump forward again, stand up with kettlebell and lift straight up over your head, repeat.

So there you have it. 3 very intense workouts that will, if appropriate weights are used, push you to your limits.
Of course, any exercise combos can be used and there are lots of variations you can use such as longer work sets, shorter or longer rest periods, more or less exercises etc.

Don't be fooled by the easy nature of it at the start. Once it ramps up to 3-4 exercises, your heart rate will be up and then stay up even when you start to come back down the other side.

Enjoy.

Todays session: 17/02/11

Great session today. Quick, tough, strength endurance session. Here it is:

4 circuits with a 24 kg kettlebell. 2 minutes rest between sets.

Swings 20 reps
Snatch L/H 10 reps
Snatch R/H 10 reps
Cleans L/H 10 reps
Cleans R/H 10 reps
Thrusters L/H 10 reps
Thrusters R/H 10 reps
Swings 20 reps

So, 100 reps in total per set.
Rest only at the top of any movement, so whilst in the rack position or kettlebell overhead.

I recorded the following stats:

Set 1
Time: 4:32
Average HR: 146
Peak HR: 163
Calories: 60

2 minute rest

Set 2:
Time: 4:36
Average HR: 157
Peak HR: 174
Calories: 71

2 minute rest

Set 3:
Time: 4:34
Average HR: 168
Peak HR: 180
Calories: 78

2 minute rest

Set 4:
Time: 4:36
Average HR: 172
Peak HR: 182
Calories: 84

Number crunching on the Concept 2 rower!

Drag Factor
We’re all aware of course of the slider control on the fan wheel of the rower, you know the one, it’s usually set on ‘number 10′ whenever you get on the machine. This slider determines the amount of air allowed to enter the flywheel. A higher number will allow more air in which will in turn, slow down the fly wheel quicker.

Guys tend to favour a higher setting due to their ego getting in the way but the fact is a higher setting won’t actually suit many people. Higher numbers generally suit more powerful rowers whilst light weight rowers would be better served on a lower number. It takes a bit of experimentation to find the right resistance which maximises your performance. Many of the competitive rowers use a damper setting of between 4 and 5 since this best represents rowing on water. I, personally use a damper setting of 5 on my Concept 2 at home.

However, there is another problem here. Not all rowers are the same. This is where drag factor comes in.

Drag factor is a numerical value for the rate at which the flywheel is decelerating. It is calculated during the recovery part of the stroke.

On a new, or indeed a well maintained rower, the drag factor (the resistance at the flywheel) will be about 90 on level 1 and 210 at level 10. On my rowers at my local not very well maintained gym, the drag factor rating is only 90-110 on the number 10 setting. This is because they are clogged full of dust and in desperate need of a service. Atmospheric conditions and air temperture will also affect drag factor.

To display the drag factor on either a Model C rower or Model D just follow the instructions below.

To view drag factor: on a Model C (generally ‘grey’ rowers) On a PM2/PM2+:
Turn the monitor on.
Wait for zeros to be displayed.
Simultaneously press Ready and Rest.
Row to display your drag factor.
On a Model D (blue coloured rowers)

On a PM3 or PM4:

Press Menu|Back until the Main Menu is displayed.
Select More Options.
Select Display Drag Factor.
Take a few strokes. After a couple of seconds, the monitor will display the drag factor.
Once you know how to do this you can then determine a ‘drag factor’ that suits you and set each rower you use to the appropriate intensity. So, in simplistic terms, number 5 on one rower won’t neccessarily equate to the same resistance as number 5 on the rower sitting next door to it. Now you will have consistency across all rowers which is very beneficial if you are using multiple rowers at your gym. So, don’t go by the number on the slider but set the slider instead until it produces the correct drag factor number. This takes me to the next point:

Determining the best drag factor for you.

Experimenting with different drag factor settings is the best way to find one that enables you to produce your best results.
Bear in mind that at a lower drag setting, such as 70-100, the flywheel will spin up quite quickly but that doesn’t equate to quicker rowing times since you will get less meters per pull. On a higher setting such as 130-180 you will clearly have a lot more resistance when you pull, but providing you have the power you will produce more metres per stroke. It’s all about finding the balance. I like to equate it to either a diesel or a petrol engine, which are you? A petrol, Lots of revs (high stroke rate, low resistance) or a diesel, Lots of torque ( low stroke rate high resistance, probably somewhere in between!
Understanding the monitor.
OK, here’s a picture of a PM3 monitor. Top left is the time that you have been training. This could be a rest period or a work period if you are doing intervals.




To the right of this is your stroke rate. I tend to work with a stroke rate of between 28 and 32 so quite fast. However if working for power you can produce the same ‘pace’ at 25 spm as you can at 32 spm. Same pace but completely different session!

Now the important one. The 500 metre pace. This is the figure that’s most relevant. This represents the time it would take you to row 500 metres at your current speed and intensity. The quicker and harder you pull the lower the number gets. so for example, 2.05 showing on the display eqates to 2 minutes and 5 seconds per 500 metres. Once you get familiar with these numbers, you will instictively know what’s a comfortable pace, a moderate pace and a fast pace. For me I know that 2.00 minute pace is a pace I can hold for along period or a steady state pace that leaves me sat in the so called ‘ fat burning zone’. (there’s something for another article!) 1.45 PER 500 metres is a good Aerobic threshold pace for me whilst 1.35 per 500 metres is a quick pace at an anaerobic capacity which I use for short intervals. Of course as your fitness improves so will all your pace times.

The ‘ave/500′ underneath represents your average pace for either the duration of the row if it’s a single piece or the average for the current interval you’re on.

Split metres: A typical split refers to the average time to complete a certain distance. For example, if you rowed an 8:00 for a 2,000 m ergometer piece, your 500m split time is 8 minutes divided by 4 (2:00).

Projected: (bottom) This is the overall time or distance you will accrue/cover by the end of your session. The functionality here is only relevant if you have set the monitor up for a certain distance or time. For example, if you have set the rower up for a timed 2K then as soon as you begin rowing, your finish time will be displayed. Of course this is constantly changing as you either increase or decrease your speed.

Likewise, if you set the monitor up for a 20 minute row, then your projected finishing distance will be displayed. This is very useful information as it enables you to ‘pace’ yourself for a certaind time or distance.

Once you understand all of this information and it becomes more than just a bunch of numbers, I guarantee you will have a far more productive session on the Concept 2 rower!

Don’t forget to check out the concept 2 website, http://concept2.co.uk/ They have a lot of good stuff on there including articles on fat loss and rowing technique. There is also a pace calculator and interactive programmes for all fitness levels that you can follow. Best of all though though is a feature called ‘ranking’ whereby you can log your times over several different timed and distanced pieces and see how you compare to people all over the world!

I sincerely hope this article adds to your enjoyment on the Concept 2 rower.

Concept 2 interval session.

Hi folks, Here's a workout you can try on a Concept 2 rower.
It's a toughie, of course, I know of no other kind'. You can use the rower or indeed any other form of CV equipment. In my description here, I have gone for my personal fave piece of CV kit, the Concept 2 rower. It's a terrific piece of kit that simply can't be beaten as a means of improving your fitness and stripping away your body fat whist at the same time working all the muscles of your body. Being non impact it's also easy on the joints.
At the end of this piece I will also go into detail on 'Drag factor' and what it means and why it's important to you.

OK, the workout itself. here goes:

In total you will do 4 to 6 intervals. Each interval will last 6 minutes. However, each interval is further split down into 3 intervals. These intervals will last 3 then 2 then 1 minute hence making a 6 minute overall interval.
For example: 3 minutes at 2:10 pace followed by 2 minutes at 1:55 pace followed by 1 minute at 1:40 pace
You will follow this patten 4 to 6 times for a workout that will last between 24 and 36 minutes. Simply set up the rower for 4 to 6 times 6 minute duration with no rest in between each 6 minute segments.

Why is this workout so tough? Well, providing you choose appropriate pacing, there won't be much let up in the intensity throughout. In order to help you choose the correct pace you will need to be aware of your 1 minute 'quick' pace. This isn't a flat out pace but certainly a pace that will be difficult to maintain for a minute.
Once you have established this, reduce it by 10 to 15 seconds to get your other two paces. So, for example, if your quick pace is 1:50 per 500 metres then your 2 minute pace will be between 2:00 and 2:05 and your 3 minute pace between 2:10 and 2:15 per 500 metres. A 10 second differential is clearly going to be tougher than a 15 second one.
The discipline in this session is not so much the 2 and 1 minute sections although they 'should' be tough, but the 3 minute section. When you have finished your 1 minute piece, you will just want to stop and try to get your breath back but don't! That first minute of the 3 is a real killer despite the lower pace but slug it out. You will recover though once you get past this tough minute. By the time you get to minutes 2 to 3 of the 3 minute section you will be in recovery mode and be ready for the faster intervals to follow.

So, to simplify: 4-6 rounds of 6 minute duration. Each round to consist of:
3 minutes moderate pace, 2 minutes fast pace, 1 minute near max pace. Repeat.
I'm sure you can understand why this would be easy to translate to other pieces of CV kit.

Drag Factor

We're all aware of course of the slider control on the fan wheel of the rower, you know the one, it's usually set on 'number 10' whenever you get on the machine. This slider determines the amount of air allowed to enter the flywheel. A higher number will allow more air in which will in turn, slow down the fly wheel quicker. Guys tend to favour a higher setting due to their ego getting in the way but the fact is a higher setting won't actually suit many people. Higher numbers generally suit more powerful rowers whilst light weight rowers would be better served on a lower number. It takes a bit of experimentation to find the right resistance which maximises your performance. Many of the competitive rowers use a damper setting of between 4 and 5 since this best represents rowing on water. I, personally use a damper setting of 5 on my Concept 2 at home.

However, there is another problem here. Not all rowers are the same. This is where drag factor comes in. On a new or indeed a well maintained rower, the drag factor (the resistance at the flywheel) on the number 10 setting is approximately 210. On my rowers at my local not very well maintained gym, the drag factor rating is only 90 on the number 10 setting. This is because they are clogged full of dust and in desperate need of a service.
To display the drag factor on either a Model C rower or Model D just follow the instructions below.

To view drag factor: on a Model C rower

Turn the monitor on.
Wait for zeros to be displayed.
Simultaneously press Ready and Rest.

On a Model D

Press Menu|Back until the Main Menu is displayed.
Select More Options.
Select Display Drag Factor.
Take a few strokes. After a couple of seconds, the monitor will display the drag factor.

Once you know how to do this you can then determine a 'drag factor' that suits you and set each rower you use to the appropriate intensity. Now you will have consistency across all rowers which is very beneficial if you are using multiple rowers at your gym. So, don't go by the number on the slider but set the slider instead until it produces the correct drag factor number.
Experiment with different drag factor settings until you find one that enables you to produce your best results.
Finally, bear in mind that at a lower drag setting, such as 50-70, the flywheel will spin up quite quickly but that doesn't equate to quicker rowing times since you will get less meters per pull. On a higher setting such as 130-180 you will clearly have a lot more resistance when you pull, but providing you have the power you will produce more metres per stroke. It's all about finding the balance. I like to equate it to either a diesel or a petrol engine, which are you? A petrol, Lots of revs (high stroke rate, low resistance) or a diesel, Lots of torque ( low stroke rate high resistance, probably somewhere in between!

Try the session, it will be tough so long as you select the correct pace settings.
Good luck people!

Todays session: 08/02/11 Density training.

Density training again today and a part repeat of my January 22nd session.
Snatches: did the following:

12KG x 10/10 HR 122
16KG X 10/10 HR 143
20KG X 10/10 HR 153
24KG X 10/10 HR 159
28KG X 10/10 HR 165
32KG X 10/10 HR 172
28KG X 10/10 HR 173
24KG X 10/10 HR 173
20KG X 10/10 HR 173
16KG X 10/10 HR 172
12KG X 10/10 HR 169

Total time: 11 minutes 53 seconds
Average Heart rate: 156
Peak Heart rate: 174
Calories: 182

This is 3 minutes quicker than my previous best but with exactly the same average heart rate which I am extremely pleased about!

Next up was what I thought was the same exercise as I did last time with the snatches but for some reason I wrote it down in the my workout book wrong. Instead of putting 'cleans' I put down 'Jerks'. 3 sets in, I noticed that my RHR was 20 BPM higher than on the previous occasion and suddenly realised my error!!
Regardless, I decided to carry on and therefore did a density set of Kettlebell jerks using the same format as before.
This turned out to be a real slog. Grinding out the 10 reps per arm once I got to the 24 and above was a real slog. My heart spent the majority of it's time above 170.
To be honest I went slightly over capacity here, form went a little off and I was probably lucky to get away injury free.
Here are the stats:

Jerks
12KG x 10/10 HR 159
16KG X 10/10 HR 167
20KG X 10/10 HR 173
24KG X 10/10 HR 174
28KG X 10/10 HR 177
32KG X 10/10 HR 178
28KG X 10/10 HR 177
24KG X 10/10 HR 176
20KG X 10/10 HR 177
16KG X 10/10 HR 176
12KG X 10/10 HR 174

Totals:
Time: 23 minutes
Average HR: 168
Peak HR: 178
CALS: 388
REPS: 220

Todays session 03/02/11 Kettlebell ladder, very tough!

Hi folks. Wow, that was a tough session!
36 minutes of intense kettlebell training, requiring plenty of resilience and determination. I will tell you the Heart rate stats now:
Cals: 600
Average: 167
Peak heart rate: 181
Bearing in mind that my heart rate didnt go below 170 for the last 25 minutes will give you an idea of what a great session this is and well worth trying.

OK, Here's the exercises used.
7 exercises:

Swings
Snatch L/H
Snatch R/H
Cleans L/H
Cleans R/H
Squat and press L/H
Squat and press R/H

Set 1,swings 30 seconds

30 seconds rest

Set 2 Swings 30 seconds, L/H Snatch 30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Set 3 Swings, L/H snatch, R/H snatch all 30 seconds. Continue adding an exercise like this until you get to all 7.

So basically you are initially working for 30 seconds but build up to 3 and a half minutes at the longest set containing all of the exercises.
You then reverse it.
Start with all 7 exercise again but start with the last exercise first so do the Squat and press on the R/H side first and then move on to the L/H side. Continue back up the ladder until you have done all 7.
This is the toughest part of the workout because the middle section contains 2 lots of 3 and a half minutes work!
You then continue but now knock one of the front end each set. So, first of all the swings will go so you'll be doing 6 sets. Then knock off the snatch L/H so you'll be doing 5 sets. Continue until you just have the one set of Squat and press on the right side.

Don't forget to rest 30 second after each round.
Rest one minute after you reach the half way point just prior to reversing the ladder.

This equates to 8 sets performed of each exercise as when you reverse it will balance itself out.

I used a 24 kg bell. It all starts off a bit easy as initially you are only working for very brief periods but the accumulated fatigue soon takes hold once you get into the session.

I struggled most of all once I got past the half way point. The squat and presses are a real killer when you are starting to fatigue.
Give it a go with a kettlebell that will work you hard. You can always extend the rest periods or reduce the weight at the half way point but try not to.

Alternatively, work with 6 exercises only as opposed to 7. This shotens the workout by some 7 minutes.