2009/03/31 - Day 25: Moderate day

I came home quite late this evening after having gone for dinner with some friends from the office. Thai Curry rocks! Anyway, as a result of time constraints I decided not to follow my full moderate day schedule. Instead I just did the following:

Flowfit (level 1): 1 set of 15 minutes

I set the timer for 14 minutes but added another round after the time ran out. Flowfit seems to be somewhat addictive. I can now understand why Adam Steer once did a 45 minute set. Maybe that is something that lies somewhere ahead for me too. That's all for today.

Review: Scott Sonnon's Flowfit 2: Ground Engagement

I've been playing with Scott Sonnon's unique Flowfit program on and off for a while now. It has only been during my last training cycle though that I've been devoting a significant amount of time to it. Given my positive impression of Flowfit 1 I decided to get FF2 recently and boy, was I in for a surprise.

I have seen a short introductory clip of Flowfit 2 on Youtube and found it hard to imagine how the movements shown could be strung together as a flow. After viewing the FF2 DVD I was yet again amazed by the genius of Scott. He has managed to "mimic" the exact 6 degrees of freedom as expressed in Flowfit 1 in FF2, but in a very different way. You see, Flowfit 2 is all about engaging the ground. Before you ask; this is not only relevant to martial artists or wrestlers who fall down a lot but to anyone who wants to befriend the ground that they stand on. In fact Flowfit 2 brings to mind the freedom of movement we all enjoyed when we were kids (in my case this meant falling down and rolling a lot).

The DVD starts (like Flowfit 1) with an introduction to the concept of intuitive training and, dare I say, I think Scott does an even better job in this second iteration of explaining this concept in such a way that anyone interested in physical wellness can get something from his explanation.

Scott continues to break down all the elements of the flow into manageable chunks in such a way that even a big guy like me can see myself eventually mastering the movements. The DVD ends with the movements strung together as a flow, which is one of the ultimate goals of Sonnon's system. He calls it "flow" and I also like to simply refer to it as total freedom of motion.

If you are looking for something different from treadmills, weight machines, endless hours of running, or whatever, that will take your fitness and movement potential into a totally new direction I can heartily recommend Flowfit 2.

I have to mention that the program is not easy but the way in which Scott breaks everything down into manageable chunks brings into reach some pretty amazing movements even to mere mortals like me. Please visit www.rmaxinternational.com for more info.

2009/03/30 - Day 24: Low intensity play

Today's session felt more like playing than training - and I quite enjoyed it. Spider Monkey is starting to feel a lot more solid and I am simply LOVING moving my body in this rather unique manner. The longer I keep training the clearer my "goals" are becoming. Of course strength and general fitness will always be part of my goals but I'm realizing more and more that total freedom of motion is probably my most desired goal. I used to love the way I could move when I did martial arts years ago. It is this fluidity of motion that I'm trying to recapture. Anyway, enough of my musings. The session went like this:

Kettlebell Foundation Joint Mobility

Kettlebell Foundation Yoga Compensations

A few playful practice sets of Spider Monkey (at least, my version of SM)

2009/03/29 - Day 23: Only Intuflow

I just worked through Intuflow Intermediate level today. I kept the movements as relaxed as possible and didn't try to increase ROM much. The session felt pretty good and I feel a lot looser now than I did before the session.

2009/03/28: Day 22 - High intensity

In keeping with the slight changes I introduced in my training protocol over the past couple of days I chose to focus today's session mainly on the kettlebells. I did:

Kettlebells / 16kg / 5 minutes work / 2 minutes rest

One Arm Jerk: 30/30

Snatch: 35/35

Push Press: 30/30

Flowfit (level 1): One set of 5 minutes

The fact that I did the kettlebell work fresh made the sets significantly easier. Because of difficulties with the kettlebell work on Tuesday I also chose to drop the rep per minute rate slightly. I again realized that it is not about the reps (initially) but about finishing the set. I have been rushing too much lately to make the AKC recommended rep ranges in order to finish the fitness protocol with the 16kg bell. In doing this my efforts have become counter-productive. I will not stop pushing myself but I believe that the discoveries I made during the last couple of days will allow me to approach the whole process in a smarter way.

2009/03/27 - Day 21: Down-scaling

The global economy is in disarray and even the really big corporate players are down-scaling and reconsidering the way forward. My training "economy" has gone through a similar process over the course of the last couple of days. My own thinking and the help of my bail-out consultant, Howie Brewer, brought me to the conclusion that I'm trying to do too much at the same time. Today's session looked a bit different as a result. I did:

Forward Pressure (level 1): 5 rounds with 2 minutes rest

Flowfit: (level 1): 1 round of 11 minutes

L-Sit (bent legs): 7 x 6 second holds

I dropped down from 8 rounds of FP to just 5. I also decided that I would rather keep moving with Flowfit rather than doing shorter multiple sets. For this reason I dropped back to FF level 1 and did a continuous 11 minute set. I probably went about 10 times through the flow in this time. In stead of feeling wasted after Flowfit I actually feel invigorated. I could have probably gone on for another 5 minutes or so and I really enjoyed getting into the flow of things. I will probably stick to Flowfit for a while, even in my next cycle, but for now I will stick to level 1 and keep moving until I have really nailed a 14 minute or longer set. Tomorrow will be exclusively devoted to the bells. Hopefully that will allow me to get the kettlebell sets under control again.

2009/03/26 - Day 20: Low intensity work

My session today consisted of:

Kettlebell specific joint mobility

Kettlebell specific compensatory yoga

Some Spider monkey practice

That's it!

2009/03/26 - Musings on training

I became obese when I was about six years old. Nobody really knows why. Maybe genetics, unhealthy eating habits, or whatever. I became lean for the first time again when I was about 17 when I took up the practice of Chinese martial arts. I stuck with this for about 6 years and then the cycle of laziness and unhealthy habits (as well as the world of work) took over again.

The first time I made a concerted effort to regain some of my fitness and health came after my divorce in 2001. I started off with Ashtanga Yoga and then ventured back into Chinese Kung Fu. My Kung Fu journey lasted about 2 years and then due to unforeseen circumstances shifted towards the exploration of Russian martial arts. I stuck with this for about two years when laziness and the culture of work above play once again took over.

In In late 2007 I decided to change my physical well-being for the better which resulted in me taking up training with kettlebells - the hard-style or RKC way. I made some impressive gains until I fell down a flight of stairs. This put me back significantly and I had to take a break for about two months. Shortly after taking up the bells again I discovered the GS (Girevoy Sport) method of kettlebell training for general fitness and work capacity. I grabbed this "new" approach with both hands and possibly with a foot or two as well. In 2008 I became a certified kettlebell teacher with Steve Cotter, a real kettlebell guru, who has managed to blend the best of GS with the RKC approach. Since the seminar I have been training with the "Iron Balls" pretty consistently.

More recently I have discovered the work of Scott Sonnon, father of CST (Circular Strength Training) and the guy who brought joint mobility back into public awareness. Since then I have also discovered Scott's 4x7 approach to training. This basically entails training specific attributes in 28 day cycles which include enough "rest" time and some very intense training. Via the teachings of Scott and some of his faculty members I also rediscovered the value of body weight only training.

I guess this brings me to the point of this post. I am a certified Kettlebell teacher and yet it feels to me as if I want to explore the full movement potential of my body beyond the confines of any external weights. My training over the past two years or so brought me to a point where body and mind have begun to communicate in such a way that I have had to ask myself what it is that I really am training towards.

The simple answer at this point in time is to develop my full movement potential. Kettlebells (as I've been using them) is great for developing endurance and work capacity. Yet it seems as if the use of the bells develop some very specific attributes (mainly related to kettlebell sport). Many of the proponents of kettlebell sport methods claim that the bells will develop fitness and health qualities that can transfer easily to any physical activity. From my experience I tend to disagree with this claim. Kettlebells are exceptionally useful when it comes to getting fit, but they are NOT the ultimate tool that will allow a person to discover everything they are capable of. I guess this leaves me somewhat confused regarding the goals of my training. Living in South Africa makes competitive Kettlebell sport seem like a goal far too distant to reach for. Partially as a result of this I've had to decide what it is that I'm training for (goals are so important).

Upon thinking about this I realized that what I really want is the freedom to use my body in as many ways as is possible. This includes building max strength, developing endurance and building the ability to be free to move in any way I wish to. This would naturally entail some changes in my training protocol - which I have yet to figure out.

Please do stay tuned in for my evolving thoughts in this regard.

2009/03/25 - Day 19: No intensity Intuflow

Just a slow round of Intuflow today. It was a great session with some nice depth in all the motions and postures.

2009/03/24 - Day 18: High Intensity

I started today with some "pleasant" DOMS in my triceps. I'm not sure if it is because of the increased volume of Forward Pressure yesterday or whether it was the 10 sets of L-Sits yesterday. Anyway I was dreading today's session a bit and, as it turned out, I had good reason to. Here is the result:

Flowfit (level 2): 3 x 4 minute rounds / 1 minute rest

After this I took my customary 15 minute rest and then did:

Kettlebells: 16 kg

OAJ: (5 minutes work / 2 minutes rest): 39/36

Snatch: (2 minutes work): 16/15

The plan with the kettlebells was to do my usual 3 sets of 5 minutes each but I knew I was in trouble already in the first minute of the jerk set. My wind was absolutely fine but my arms were simply gone. I managed to finish the jerk set but when it came to snatches I decided to call it a day after the second minute. It felt as if I was either flirting with injury or simply getting very close to burning out any endurance left in my arms. I'll have to wait for my next high intensity day to see if there is any improvement. If not I might have to rethink my approach to training a bit.

2009/03/23 - Day 17: Moderate intensity

A short and simple session today:

Forward Pressure: 8 rounds / 2 minutes rest between rounds

Sit Up / Butterfly combos: 3 x 5

L-Sit: 10 x 6 second holds

2009/03/21 - Day 16: Low intensity

I worked through the following today:

Kettlebell joint mobility

Kettlebell compensatory yoga

A bit of Spider Monkey practice

The spider monkey is coming along slowly but nicely. I again just worked on the first few transitions (from quad squat to side plank, star fish, three legged dog, scorpion, table and back to quad squat). I first did two sets on the right and two on the left side and then finished with one set doing both right and left in one flow. I am also starting to do a bit of a tripod posture together with the table posture to get me closer to a full wheel posture. I always love the way my shoulders feel after this flow; kind of like the tension has been squeezed out.

200903/20 - Day 15: Intuflow

Today's Intuflow session was particularly nice. All the movements felt really smooth and there was no discomfort throughout the ranges of motion I worked. Something is definitely working.

2009/03/19 - Day 14: More Flowfit and Kettlebells

I felt a bit tired today and decided to only do 4 sets of Flowit as opposed to 5. Anyway, the goal is not to do more sets but to work up to doing just one set of 14 minutes or longer. I think I will stick to this rule during the current cycle rather than adding more sets.

My session:

Flowfit (level 2): 4 rounds / 3 minutes work / 1 minute rests

I took my usual 15 minute break and then moved on with:

Kettlebells: 16kg / 5 minutes work / 2 minutes rest

LC OAJ: 25/25

Snatch: 39/39

Half Snatch: 23/24

Flowfit is really an unusual exercise program. It is so much harder than it looks and I also seem to be progressing more slowly with this than with every other exercise modality or program I took on recently. With kettlebells I keep going up the levels, with Forward Pressure I have been adding one set each time I do it, my Prasara seems better each time I do it but Flowfit, oh no, I started with 4 sets of 3 minutes and that's where I still am. I guess it really is the fact that you work your body in so many ways in the context of such a short, compact session. The kettlebell sets was not too bad today. The Long Cycle was solid (in fact fairly easy), the Snatches went well up to the last 30 seconds when my forearm muscles started complaining and the Half Snatches - oh well, I can just say "Ouch." I'm looking forward to an easy day with just some Intuflow tomorrow.

2009/03/18 - More Forward Pressure

I added another round of Forward Pressure today and did some more core work as well.

The session:

Forward Pressure: 7 rounds with 2 minute rest periods

Roll up / Butterfly combos: 3x5

L-Sit: 5 x 6 second holds with a few seconds rest between holds

As usual FP produced a significant pump in the upper body as well as some solid muscle fatigue in the arms. I decided to add in the L-Sit for some additional core work since I discovered recently that I need work in this area. The exercise is from Coach Sommer's book "Building the gymnastic body" which arrived via mail today. I did the most basic variation with bent legs. I can see the potential for building some serious strength with this exercise as I work through the progressions.

Coach Sommer's book seems great so far and will most probably be the foundation of my next cycle.

2009/03/17 - Day 12: Low intensity

Both Jocelyn and I felt a bit weak and nauseous most of today - most likely the result of what we ate last night. I feel a hell of a lot better after my training session though. The session went as follows:

Kettlebell joint mobility

Kettlebell yoga compensations

Bit of Spider monkey practice

Before anybody gets the idea that I'm some kind of gymnast please take note: I am only working on the first few transitions of Spider monkey and I am not yet doing the full wheel pose; I am substituting it at this stage for the table. Having said that I am already noticing improvement in my arm strength and the strength of my core muscles. I have also become more aware of my core muscles and am keeping them flexed during the postures to facilitate greater strength and stability. Some of the aspects regarding this flow that I have noticed are as follows:

1. It is very much a general strength builder.

2. The core gets a great workout.

3. It is great for shoulder and upper back mobility.

I'm sure I'll discover more benefits as I move ahead.

2009/03/16 - Day 11: Just some Intuflow

Today's session was kind of like Intuflow Qigong. I worked through the sequence really slowly and focused on making the movements as fluid and relaxed as possible. After a while it felt very similar to the flowing, almost meditative experience generated by the practice of Tai Chi. I even had the same sensation of warmth in the hands and a sense of tingling in the limbs in general. My body felt pretty tight after my high intensity session yesterday and this slow Intuflow was just what I needed to get my body loose and comfortable again.

2009/03/15 - Day 10: Upping things slightly

My approach to Flowfit during the current cycle is based on a density training protocol, in other words gradually doing more work in the same amount of time while taking less rest. This is supposed to eventually build up to only one set lasting 14 minutes or longer. I didn't feel ready today to start increasing the time per set though so I chose to do an extra set instead. Here is the result:

Flowfit (level 2): 5 rounds / 3 minutes work / 1 minute rest

After the Flowfit I took about 15 minutes rest and then did:

Kettlebell fitness work: 16kg / 5 minutes work / 2 minutes rest

One arm Jerk: 35/35

Snatch: 35/35

Long Cycle Push Press: 20/20

Flowfit still kicked some serious butt today. I did however notice that the fifth set felt about as hard as my fourth did a few days ago. For the kettlebell sets I made my rpm sligthly lower given the fact that I added an extra minute of work per set. The first two sets felt fairly easy but the last one kicked my butt solidly and I had to set the bell down briefly a couple of times.

2009/03/14 - Day 9: Forward Pressure

Today I did:

Forward Pressure (6 rounds with 2 minute rest between rounds)

Roll up / Butterfly combos: 3x5

That's it. Short and sweet.

2009/03/13 - Day 8: Moderate intensity

Today's session included some more monkey business and an interesting discovery. I did the following:

Kettlebell joint mobility

Kettlebell compensatory yoga

Some practice of Spider Monkey

The spider monkey flow (or in my case, the pregnant gorilla flow) brought about an interesting discovery. I discovered that my core (specifically lower back and pelvic area) is pretty weak. When doing the starfish posture I find it hard to keep my whole body aligned and I keep wanting to sag at the hips. My arm is clearly strong enough to hold the position but I struggle to generate enough tension in the core part of my body to hold the position with ease. No wonder I get injured so easily in the pelvic and lower back area. Hopefully the flow itself will bring about greater strength in this weak spot (which I'm pretty sure it will). I will monitor the situation closely over the next few weeks and if necessary focus more specifically on this area during my next 4x7.

2009/03/12 - Day 7: No intensity Intuflow session

I again chose today to only do the beginner level of Intuflow. I am really working on maximizing my body awareness at the moment and I find that simple movements (initially) are really invaluable when it comes to this objective. I went slowly and tried to feel the way different movements "connect" with non-local body areas. It is quite amazing to feel an arm movement's impact on the feet for example. Everything (at least when it comes to the body) really is inter-connected. Tomorrow will be some more monkey business.

2009/03/11 - Day 6: High intensity

Today's session went like this:

Flowfit (level 2):

4 rounds / 3 minutes work / 1 minute rest

I rested for 15 minutes and then did:

Kettlebells / 16kg / 4 minutes work / 30 seconds rest:

LC Jerk: 20/20

Half Snatch: 20/20

LC Push Press: 20/20

Flowfit really kicks ass in a big way. Looking at the DVD it seems so easy, but then again, Scott Sonnon makes a lot of stuff look easy. I found myself gasping for breath in the third and fourth rounds. I clearly have a lot of work to do before I can go for a full 14 minutes or longer without rest. The kettlebell sets went remarkably well and didn't feel nearly as hard as I thought they would. The last set was tough though because my forearm muscles wanted to quit. Luckily I managed to make the target reps within the time. I will now probably move up to 5 minute sets on my next high intensity day (this coming Sunday).

2009/03/10 - Day 5: Moderate intensity

Today's session consisted of:

Forward Pressure: 5 rounds with 2 minutes rest between rounds

Roll up / butterfly combinations: 3x5

Prasara Spider Monkey flow

My upper body again feels about as pumped as a gymnast's after a rings routine. Interestingly enough the fifth round of FP felt about as tough as day one's fourth round. Progress really does come fast with the 4x7 schedule. My core also gets a nice working over with FP and the addition of some direct core work via role ups and butterflies is sure to enhance this effect. The Spider Monkey is as this point very much just in the learning phases and I am still using the table pose rather than the full wheel. Although I can do a static wheel the transition to wheel as done in the flow is still a bit too difficult at this point. I'm especially curious to see how the Spider Monkey will evolve over the next 23 days.

2009/03/09 - Day 4: Low intensity monkeying about

My session today consisted of:

Kettlebell specific joint mobility

Kettlebell specific yoga

Prasara Spider Monkey flow

I chose to work on the Spider Monkey flow during this 4x7 because Scott Sonnon mentioned over at RMax that it is a good flow to compensate for Forward Pressure. Whenever I looked at the Prasara A and B flows before this has probably been the flow that I most wanted to avoid. It simply seemed impossible. Now that I've started fooling around with it my opinion is definitely changing pretty fast. I absolutely LOVE the movements. Yes, I am probably looking nothing like a Spider monkey but I am at least beginning the journey that will take me there. The movements work the shoulders and core in a really nice way and I can imagine that it can be pretty beneficial for people with shoulder problems (although the movements should be approached carefully). I feel pretty good about what I did today; in fact, I might just do the Spider Monkey a bit more after tomorrow's Forward Pressure session.

2009/03/08 - Day 3: Intuflow

I decided to drop down to Intuflow beginner level for today's session. I felt like a really simple yet precise session of mobility work rather than the slightly more complex work of the intermediate level.

The session left me feeling alert and relaxed. Maybe I'll do a few more of the beginner sessions before moving up again.

2009/03/07 - Day 2: Flowfit and Kettlebells

Today was the first high intensity day of the current cycle. The session consisted of Flowfit and Kettlebells.

Flowfit (level 2):

3 minutes work / 1 minute rest x 4 rounds

Kettlebells:

16kg / 4 minutes work / 1 minute rest:

LC Jerk: 20/20

Half Snatch: 20/20

LC Push Press: 20/20

My idea with this cycle's high intensity days is to use a density style protocol for Flowfit. Having started with 4 rounds of 3 minutes each today the idea is to work towards less sets of longer duration until I can eventually work comfortably for 14 minutes non-stop. Regarding the kettlebells the idea for this cycle is to move up another couple of levels in the AKC fitness protocol. Hopefully I'll be able to get to level 14 or 15 by the end of the cycle.

2009/03/06 - Day one of the new cycle

I just completed my first session of my new 4x7 cycle. This time the goal is not "body specific" as in the previous two cycles (getting leaner and hypertrophy) but rather method specific (well, obviously I have some ideas about how I'd like the cycle to impact my health and fitness too). The focal methods for this cycle will be the Forward Pressure program for the moderate days and Flowfit for the high intensity days. The main objective is to become competent at the performance of Forward Pressure level 1 and Flowfit level 2. Secondary to that is the concept of becoming comfortable with movement sequences and flows rather than discrete movements only. Except for Prasara twice a week my past training has mainly been focused on specific movements rather than putting the movements together in flows (which will of course add a certain amount of complexity to the training). The third objective is to maintain the strength, hypertrophy and endurance the previous two cycles brought. I am also considering the cycly to be a good preparation for the gymnastics oriented bodyweight work I am intending to start soon.

Today's session went like this:

Forward Pressure (4 rounds with 2 minutes between rounds)

3 Supersets of Roll Ups and Spinal Rocks

Although all the FP movements are familiar to me they become something totally different when worked in sequence like I did today. The muscular burn and pump produced was quite something. I can definitely imagine the muscular strength-endurance someone requires who can go for 14 minutes non-stop with this flow. WOW!

In terms of progression I will gradually cut the rest times and also add repetitions of the flow. Hopefully at the end of the cycle I will do 10 rounds with a minute rest between rounds. We'll see where I am once I hit day 25. Tomorrow will be a Flowfit and Kettlebell day.

2009/03/05: Day 28: Finished with the cycle

On my last day of the current 4x7 I worked through the Kettlebell Foundation joint mobility and compensatory yoga sequences. I am amazed to be able to say that I've trained every single day for the last 56 days. I have never trained so consistently in my life. Granted over the past 56 days there were a few days here and there when I didn't feel like training but luckily I always managed to simply do it anyway. I don't know what exactly it is that has allowed me to keep my training so consistent but I have a suspicion that there is something about the 4x7 design that keeps you going back for more.

I am pretty happy with the results of the last 4x7. Even though I was initially somewhat sceptical about hypertrophy and bodyweight training I definitely picked up some extra muscle. I don't know if there has been any fatloss like after the BER fatloss programme but I am pretty sure I didn't gain any fat. Also, even though the focus of the cycle was on hypertrophy I have definitely made strength gains as well. In the crow posture for example I am getting closer and closer to being able to do the posture with totally straight arms.

For my next cycle (which I'm starting tomorrow) I will be taking a break from the BER book but I will still be doing a lot of bodyweight training. On the moderate days the focus will be on Forward Pressure (for upper body strength and endurance) and on the high days I will be working on Flowfit level 2 and the AKC fitness protocol for general fitness. More about this tomorrow.

2009/03/04: Day 27: Just some Intuflow

I had a bit of DOMS today after yesterday's fairly intense session. It was nice to do some Intuflow to work some of the tightness out of my muscles and to release at least some of the residual tension. Just one more day to go on this cycle and then I'm starting my next 4x7 (this time based on Forward Pressure and Flowfit).

2009/03/03 - Day 26: High intensity

Today I did the last high intensity session of my current cycle. The next two days will consist of Intuflow and compensations before starting my next cycle on Friday. The session went like this:

Max rep drop sets:

Elevated push ups, ellipses, screw presses (twice through)

One legged squats, supported one legged squats, trinity squats (twice through)

Isometric holds:

Crow left, right, full (twice through)

Superman, bent Superman, plank (twice through)

I then rested 15 minutes and then did:

Kettlebells: 16kg / 4 minutes work / 1 minute rest

Snatch: 32/32

LC Jerk: 20/20

Half Snatch: 20/20

The bodyweight stuff felt great today, in particular the isometric holds. The kettlebell part was a bit of a killer though. In my last set I set the bell down for about 2-3 seconds after every five reps. My wind was fine but my muscles were fried. It seems to me that the greater tension that I was able to exert in the isometrics today caused a great deal of muscular fatigue. Well, that's it for my last high intensity day of this cycle. I'm looking forward to starting afresh on Friday.

2009/03/02 - Day 25: Moderate day

The session went like this:

Slow eccentrics:

4x3 Quad squat

4x3 Trinity squat

Eccentric / Isometric contrast

4x3 Rocca

4x3 1L SLDL

2009/03/01 - Day 23 & 24

Yesterday's training consisted of just a quick Intuflow session. Today I did:

Kettlebell joint mobility

Compensatory yoga

2 rounds of Flowfit @ level 2

It was nice to do some Flowfit after a couple of months of not doing any. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much easier Flowfit has become after spending some time working with body weight exercises. The only problem with this discovery is that I'm now torn between focusing my next 4x7 on the BER strength program or on a combination of Forward pressure and Flowfit. I guess I'll know when I wake up on Friday.