100 Money Makers w/ 62# Kettlebell

The Money Makers are like eight-count bodybuilders except they begin with a double Long Cycle Clean and Press. Once the k-bells are extended overhead, they are then lowered back down to the racked position and then to the floor. From this position, a push-up is executed. We then stand up and start over again.

I wish I could say that I cranked these out straight without stopping; however, the truth is that these are extremely tough. I had to break them down into 20 sets of 5 with an average of two minutes rest between sets. At 50 reps I was at 30:09, having ripped the calluses on my left hand, leaving a dime-sized open area in my palm. I had to go with gloves for the rest of the workout. Immediately after I was done, I doused my hands in sanitizing gel. I would rather have been water-boarded! Time: 58:35, a beginning standard for the first time performing this workout.

50 Deadlifts, 50 Flutter Kicks

After yesterday's PT, I was up for an easier workout today.

I used two 80# kettlbells for a straight set of 50 DLs followed by 50 4-count Flutter Kicks.

Double Kettlebell 400-Rep-Drill

20 x 8 Cleans
15 x 8 Presses
10 x 8 Clean and Press
05 x 8 Clean and Squat Press


That's the way the workout was supposed to go, but here's what actually happened.

I started out feeling good about being able to knock out 8 sets of 20 repetitions of Cleans with the 62# kettlebells, but immediately after starting, I realized that I might have bitten off more than I could chew. Fortunately for me I had my two coaches helping me out. I had my 9 year old, Mita, who I call "Head Coach," and my 13 year old, who I call "Coach Mito" providing motivation and statistical support.

The first three sets of 20 were so challenging, that I knew I had to adapt by breaking my sets into smaller reps. By the time I was supposed to do Presses my delts were at their wick's end, so instead of performing eight sets of 15, I did 15 sets of eight. I came up short for the Clean & Press and eliminated the Clean & Squat Press altogether. I thought, "Better to listen to my body than to drive-on and provoke an injury." That's the nature of extreme endurance sports, we're constantly straddling the edge of peak performance. Fall off on one side and we have injury; fall off on the other and fail to put in enough work to meet performance goals.

During a high-rep kettlebell workout, my purpose is to burn calories, keep my heart rate up, and improve my lung capacity. Ultimately today's session broke down to the following:

Cleans: 20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Presses: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Clean and Press: 10, 10

Time: 2:01:17, 300 total reps, and 34 total sets with an average of 3.5 minutes rest per set.

Note to self: Next workout standard will be with a single 53# kettlebell for 200 reps on each side, continuous for time.

Perfect Push-up 20 x 20

I woke up this morning feeling a bit stiff and sore, so I decided to forgo the ruck until tomorrow or the next day. For a minute, I even thought about taking the day off. Then, I decided to crank out 400 push-ups (20 x 20) on my Perfect Push-up handles. Time: 3:32:00, about a set of 20 every 10.5 minutes. It won't break any world records, but it's a time standard that can be improved upon.

Floor Press 100-Rep-Drill

Today's PT will consist of a variation on the 100-rep drill.

In the 100 rep drill, the athlete attempts 100 reps of a given exercise. By subtracting the number of reps from 100, we get the total number of seconds rest between sets. Then another set is performed and added to the first. The difference between the total number of reps (of both sets) and 100 gives the amount of rest after the second set. This continues until 100 reps is reached. I like to vary the 100 rep drill by performing reps of other exercises instead of rest. Today I chose the Floor Press, utilizing the 62# kettlebells, followed by the two-handed kettlebell Basic Swing, using a 53# bell.

The basic swing is one of the most basic exercises that can be done with kettlebells and one of the most beneficial exercises for both strength and aerobic conditioning. The basic swing develops every single lifting or pulling muscle in the body and forces breathing similar to the way that squats and deadlifts do.

I performed my first set of 20 Floor Presses, which left me with 80 swings; however, after suffering a cramp in my lower lats at around 40 reps, I had to give it a brief rest. I cranked out 40 more swings, then hit the floor for another set of presses. I continued to do 20 reps of Floor Presses, but I had to break up my swings into two evenly divided sets due to that nagging cramp. Time: 20:39 100 Floor Presses, 200 Basic Swings

Experiment of One

As many of you already know, my last long run of the year was the JFK 50 Mile, which was held on November 22nd. I don't know about you, but I find it harder and harder to stay motivated to get out there and run in the sub-freezing winter temperatures and foul, icy weather. Since I have neither a treadmill nor a gym membership, the way that I'm going to tackle the problem of maintaining my aerobic fitness through the winter is by working with kettlebells, free exercise, and step-ups on my 18 inch-high bathtub. That will be my experiment, to try and maintain a base level of endurance such that I will be able to ramp up my running/rucking from 10 miles per week (mpw) to over 50 miles per week by late March for a 150 mile running event to be held in April 2009.

see www.mcnaughtonparktrailruns.com


I'm using a crossfit-type format that engages many muscle groups. I call today's WOD (workout-of-the-day) my Spartan Circuit. It consists of 10 exercises for 30 reps each and step-ups between exercises and/or reps, as needed, for a total of 300 reps and at least 300ft of vertical climb for time. I chose the following:

Flutter Kicks: 4-count for 30 reps, then with no rest, move onto the next exercise.

Mountain-Climber/Push-ups: This is an interesting variation of the push-up. I use the "Perfect Push-up" apparatus with a mountain climber after every push-up repetition. Try these with the twisting motion of the Perfect Push-up handles, for a killer core workout. As before, I moved onto the next exercise with no rest.

Leg-lifts: 4-count for 30 reps, no rest, move onto the next exercise.

35# double kettlebell Snatches: By this time, I could only do 20, so I had to do a set of 30 step-ups on the bathtub before coming back and for my final set of 10. I then went back and did another set of 30 step-ups before moving onto the 5th exercise.

35# double kettlebell Curls: Now I'm really sucking wind, and the toughest part is yet to come. I can only do another 20, which means I have to do another set of 30 step-ups. Back to the bathroom I go for another set of 30 steps before finishing up my 30 curls. To keep it moving, I go back and do another set of 30 steps before moving onto kettlebell Presses.

62# double kettlebell Presses: My legs are rubber at this point, but I pick up the k-bells and begin counting out presses. I can only knock out 10, so I'm back and forth between the kettlebells and the bathroom. I do three sets of 10 presses with 30 steps between sets.

62# double kettlebell Cleans: Things are not getting any better, but I pause only long enough to afford myself a sip of water. Once again, I can only count out 10 cleans, so I'm again religated to three sets of 10 reps with trips to the bathroom in between. So far, I'm at 240 steps and a total of 360ft of vertical climb.

62# single kettlebell Clean and Press: This variation on the movement is supposed to be continuous, five on one side, then five on the other. I could only do the first five on the right then the left. That meant three sets of five on each side followed by sets of 30 steps in between.

53# kettlebell Halos: Two sets of 30 with another set of 30 steps in between.

35# double kettlebell Ski Swings: These are just like the double basic swing except they're swung outside the thighs, instead of between the thighs. After 30 of these all I could do was just fall on the floor. Time: 46:50 and 520ft of vertical climb.