ETK week 3 report
I can't believe I got to the end of week 3 .... this is pretty good going for me, people! I have a bad habit of starting programmes and getting bored after a couple of weeks and ditching them! Not so with ETK - although I am starting to dread the workouts as the swing sets get ever longer, I'm also finding it strangely addictive and already looking forward to repeating it with a heavier bell.
So - here was my week ...
Monday: combat teaching.
Tuesday I had a combat technique session in the morning, then taught jam, came home and did my ETK workout. This took a fair amount of willpower as I was tired ... but determined! Succeeded with the 40 swing sets. Wow - they were hard going though. My heart rate got up into its top reaches and I found all I could do for recoveries to let it come down again was walking or very gentle jogging on the spot. No TGU practice but a well earned stretch and bath after that.
Wednesday I had a rest day; Thursday I taught both jam and combat, so was having to squeeze the rest of my ETK workouts in over the weekend ...
Friday I did the second swing workout and this time followed with the TGUs, 3 sets each side with the 8kg, 1 with the 6kg.
Saturday I taught jam and then came home to complete my final TGU workout for the week. This time Dave offered to spot me so I had a bash with a 10kg. Managed one each side with this which I was very chuffed with, then 3 with the 8kg. I'm very happy to be seeing some real improvements with these, bearing in mind three weeks ago I could barely manage one rep with the 6kg - I'm definitely getting stronger :-)))
Sunday it was combat teaching again and Monday, which was a bank holiday, I took another rest day and spent the whole day vegging on the sofa with the PS3 and a good book. It was bliss!
This week it is going to be a real struggle to complete week 4. I was hoping to do my swings at lunchtime today, but have been suffering with a dodgy stomach all morning (my own fault for consuming vast amounts of junk during my sofa day yesterday!). So lunchtime consisted of chicken noodle soup and no kettlebells. I will hopefully do the swings this evening after I teach jam. If I'm going to complete week 4, I will then have to do the second swing workout tomorrow, and squeeze in the TGUs somwhere as the rest of the week is totally hectic. Thursday I teach jam and combat; Friday I have my technique intensive course, 7 hours of combat (the starting point for my whole 6 week challenge!); Saturday I will definitely need a rest day; and Sunday I have quarterly workshops - 6 classes to do. So ETK is getting squeezed into the gaps - not ideal but I will do my best to complete it as I'm excited about moving forward to the Rite of Passage section and really don't want to have to repeat this week.
On that subject, I could do with some advice from my kettlebelling friends, please. Pavel says to start the Clean & Press ladders with a weight you can press 5-8 times. I had a go at pressing the 10kg today and could only manage 4 times on the left, although more on the right. So really I guess I should be starting with the 8kg? But I would prefer to go heavier, as I feel the cleans will be too easy with the 8kg. Also, the 10kg is actually easier to clean as its a bigger bell and fits better into my arm in the racked position. Any advice, people who have done ETK before?
Assuming I manage to complete this week, I will be starting week 2 of the Rite of Passage when we go on holiday, So I'm going to have to convince Dave to let me pack the 8kg/10kg bell for C & P, the 12kg for swings, our pull up bar and my band for assisted pull ups. He's going to be so thrilled .... :-)
So - here was my week ...
Monday: combat teaching.
Tuesday I had a combat technique session in the morning, then taught jam, came home and did my ETK workout. This took a fair amount of willpower as I was tired ... but determined! Succeeded with the 40 swing sets. Wow - they were hard going though. My heart rate got up into its top reaches and I found all I could do for recoveries to let it come down again was walking or very gentle jogging on the spot. No TGU practice but a well earned stretch and bath after that.
Wednesday I had a rest day; Thursday I taught both jam and combat, so was having to squeeze the rest of my ETK workouts in over the weekend ...
Friday I did the second swing workout and this time followed with the TGUs, 3 sets each side with the 8kg, 1 with the 6kg.
Saturday I taught jam and then came home to complete my final TGU workout for the week. This time Dave offered to spot me so I had a bash with a 10kg. Managed one each side with this which I was very chuffed with, then 3 with the 8kg. I'm very happy to be seeing some real improvements with these, bearing in mind three weeks ago I could barely manage one rep with the 6kg - I'm definitely getting stronger :-)))
Sunday it was combat teaching again and Monday, which was a bank holiday, I took another rest day and spent the whole day vegging on the sofa with the PS3 and a good book. It was bliss!
This week it is going to be a real struggle to complete week 4. I was hoping to do my swings at lunchtime today, but have been suffering with a dodgy stomach all morning (my own fault for consuming vast amounts of junk during my sofa day yesterday!). So lunchtime consisted of chicken noodle soup and no kettlebells. I will hopefully do the swings this evening after I teach jam. If I'm going to complete week 4, I will then have to do the second swing workout tomorrow, and squeeze in the TGUs somwhere as the rest of the week is totally hectic. Thursday I teach jam and combat; Friday I have my technique intensive course, 7 hours of combat (the starting point for my whole 6 week challenge!); Saturday I will definitely need a rest day; and Sunday I have quarterly workshops - 6 classes to do. So ETK is getting squeezed into the gaps - not ideal but I will do my best to complete it as I'm excited about moving forward to the Rite of Passage section and really don't want to have to repeat this week.
On that subject, I could do with some advice from my kettlebelling friends, please. Pavel says to start the Clean & Press ladders with a weight you can press 5-8 times. I had a go at pressing the 10kg today and could only manage 4 times on the left, although more on the right. So really I guess I should be starting with the 8kg? But I would prefer to go heavier, as I feel the cleans will be too easy with the 8kg. Also, the 10kg is actually easier to clean as its a bigger bell and fits better into my arm in the racked position. Any advice, people who have done ETK before?
Assuming I manage to complete this week, I will be starting week 2 of the Rite of Passage when we go on holiday, So I'm going to have to convince Dave to let me pack the 8kg/10kg bell for C & P, the 12kg for swings, our pull up bar and my band for assisted pull ups. He's going to be so thrilled .... :-)
posted by Beth Currie at
12:28 PM
1 Comments:
Assuming you're doing long cycle C&P for that initial test I would probably just start with 8kg. Worst case scenario you blaze through the ladders with the 8kg in a week or two. No big deal, just move on up to the 10kg.
My experience has been it's better to start with more manageable weight, make sure the form is perfect, and if it's too easy you'll just max out your ladder quickly and move on to the next. I was in a similar situation as yours where the 24kg was just a little too heavy but I tried to press on with it anyway. Eventually dropped down to the 20kg, burned through the ladder and the 24kg was easy after that.
By
Matt Heisig, at 1:43 PM
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