Wednesday’s Workout

Purpose: Today’s workout was an attempt to maintain and develop overhead pressing strength, train the posterior chain, develop stamina, and maintain flexibility.

It was about 96 degrees outside, so I didn’t need much of a warm-up:

One hand cleans
8 left / 8 right @ 53 lbs

Double cleans
10 @ 53 lbs in each hand

This got me sufficiently warm. I try to perform the movement as concisely as possible, meaning without wasted motion. Part of the training is to train the body to respond with precision to a neurological command, thus gaining greater control over the use of your body.

Double Kettlebell Military Press
2 sets of 5 @ 53 lbs in each hand. I do this exercise to maintain pressing strength and as pre-hab for my shoulder. Kettlebells, for me, keep my rotator cuff strong which helps when I throw a football or softball (or a pine cone at my fiance ).

Kettlebell Windmill (click for demo)
1 set of 5 @ 53 lbs. Great exercise for shoulder stabilization and strength throughout the stomach. It can also help you develop flexibility in the shoulder and hamstrings.

Kettlebell Cleans
5 left/right @ 70 pounds. Handling something a little heavier makes the 50 pounder seem lighter. It also helps make me more explosive.

Swings
25 two hand @ 53, 25 left/right. The swing is great for the back. So many people are concerned about their back that they neglect to exercise it, which is totally counterproductive. This exercise in the bad back cure, provided you do it correctly and don’t have a congenital issue of some sort.

Waist passes
Passed the kettlebell around my body, 10 times left / 10 times right. This trains the arms and stomach region. It supports your grip and it’s fun.

5 minutes of stretching. Unfortunately, I don’t know the names of all the stretches I do. I did do a bridge, because that’s great for reversing the sitting motion, and some other miscellaneous stretches.

Compared to what I used to do, this is a super-light workout. But this training makes me feel good and maintains fitness levels. I don’t need to do a super-intense workout, especially since I have to recover from that workout. If you have a job that affords you the luxury of being mentally dull at work because your body is sore, you can push it more. If you’re a desk jockey, this is a great workout that will maintain and in some cases increase your fitness level.