On the Grind

    Today we will cover an interesting day's work. We did this session yesterday and let me tell you, it leaves the legs quite sore! We introduce a new (to us) complex, a skill movement, and a brand new high intensity interval training style workout based somewhat on a CrossFit unnamed workout. Our actual WOD, or workout of the day, was designed with the Bear of Destroy in mind. We must increase our training that develops good running and sprinting skills, as well as increasing the duration of the workouts as well. This help build that mental strength to know you can make it through a workout that is very long and demanding, even when you feel like dying after round 2 of 5. More on the WOD in a moment, first we will discuss our fun new complex.

    We can thank YouTube for this very strength biased workout. As a fellow comrade was spending some leisure time watching people perform kettlebell workout on YouTube (Great gireviks live the way of the kettlebell, even when he cannot do the workout himself, the KB love is always there) he came across this interesting complex. It was called the "Bear Complex" which of course immediately caught his eye since we love the mighty bear strength as well! It was a fast, but heavy complex that builds some great strength and explosive skills. This complex may not be a cardio monster, but what it lacks in cardio destruction, it makes up for in volume.

Bear Complex

5 Rounds with 30 seconds of rest in between rounds.
Can be done in a 10 round set if desired.

Go through the complex twice for one round.

All movement are done with double 50lb KBs standard.
20-35lb KBs for lady comrades and beginners.
70lb KBs for advanced athletes.

1 Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Press
1 Back Squat
1 Press
1 Bent Over Row
1 Deadlift

    This complex is a great alternative to our beloved Balding Bear complex, and we will use it frequently to ensure diversity in our programming. Don't think you can't mix and match movements and create countless hundreds of complexes. Just make sure you pick motions that flow together well, no jerky form, and no crazy out of control positions comrades!


   On to the next movement that we did yesterday afternoon. This movement is a very common exercise and should be done fairly regularly to thoroughly develop the skill. It is also a great midline stability (often referred to as "core training" in big box metrosexual gyms) workout. In addition to it's midline benefits it also develops great overhead stability and strength as well as some rather good balance. Look up some of Steve Cotter's instructional videos on how to do a windmills and he will explain the fine details of the movement.

Windmill
Complete 10 smooth and stable repetitions per side. Focus on form and slow strength, not speed.

    Now for the final exercise, our WOD for yesterday. Aptly named "The Grinder" this is a tough workout that requires an athlete to stay focused on not only their form and their performance, but especially their breathing. When sprinting and jogging and doing power movements all in rapid succession you breathing can get out of control very quickly as you heart rate spirals upward. Always remember that the heart follows the breath. So as long as you can slow down your breathing, and make it smooth and powerful, you can also slow your heart rate and increase your work capacity. This workout is based on a interval workout I learned from a fellow Crossfitter some time ago. It is simple and effective in it's basic form, but we are interested in a bit more than that here. It is 10 100m sprints with 1 minute of rest between each one. I added a few movements that will increase the torture a bit, and make the workout truer to our girevik lifestyle. Now enough of my rambling, I introduce to you, The Grinder.

The Grinder

10 Rounds with 1 minute of rest in between rounds.

Snatches (35lb KB standard, 10-20lb KB for ladies and beginners, 50lb KB advanced.)
Slams (50lb KB standard, 20-35lb KB for ladies and beginners, 70lb KB advanced.)

100m Sprint
5 R Hand KB Snatch
5 L Hand KB Snatch
100m Run
10 KB Slam

    Sounds simple enough right? Heck, it even sounds kinda easy. But you will find the real killer in this WOD is the fact that your beloved minute of rest seems to grow shorter and shorter, as the 100 meter distance seems to grow longer and longer. Surprisingly enough one of the hardest parts of the workout is the 100m run. During this portion of the round, after doing your Sprint, and 10 very fast snatches you now must jog/run at a reasonable pace. That's when it goes sort of bad, your heart rate is going crazy, so your breath follows if you do not make a conscious effort to control it. This is very difficult to do, as it creates almost a desperate panic breathing situation. This MUST be controlled, you must use the most powerful, and strongest weapon you posses, your brain. Control your breath and you will succeed, and you will conquer The Grinder.

You all may be wondering what the heck a slam is. And I will tell you now, no worries comrades. A slam is a simple movement that is great for your midline as well as just simply being brutal, and fun! You simply get the KB from ground to overhead (Clean and press it, snatch it, swing it, how you get it up there is your problem, no my problem) Catch the KB by it's horns (sides of the handle) then slam it onto the ground with as much force as you can generate. Piece of cake, right? I have never discussed Slams here before, as many folks do not use kettlebells for slams. Most folks use their kettlebells in their homes or in gyms where slamming them on the ground would be unacceptable. It would damage the KBs as well as the floor. Rogue Fitness (rougefitness.com) has slamballs that are more akin to a medicine ball, only they are very heavy and very durable that are intended for slams. This product may be of use to comrades that don't have access to an area with soft ground to slam their KBs onto. Another concern to keep in mind is the area you do your slams.

    You will find that you KBs will punish the earth and begin pounding a rather deep hole into almost any terrain. So don't do it where someone may step into it and break an ankle, and you probably won't want to do it in your front yard. I prefer using some forgotten unused patch of dirt where nobody will care about, or be injured by the holes. Or even better, a place like the beach, or a sandy area where you can easily fill the holes in when you are done. Some have even suggested using a piece of rubber mat to save the ground from the beating, which may work for you. I don't particularly like this method as the KB tends to bounce, which may be difficult to control when fatigued. Nobody wants to take a flying 70lb KB to the shin do they? I didn't think so. So be responsible when slamming KBs, or any slamming implement, and enjoy the slams comrades! They are fun!

Until next time comrades, eat, sleep, work, train, and play like you mean it and be twice the human you ever thought possible!