ActivitiesGuy Log III: StrongFirst Kettlebells & Deadlifts

Thursday 3/9

QUICK SQUATS

Goblet Squat

10x18
10x26
10x35
10x44
10x53
3x62
3x70

Back Squat

5x135
3x225
2x315

1 Like

Friday 3/10

QUICK DEADLIFT

Sumo Deadlift

3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x405
1x435

1 Like

Saturday 3/11

MORE EASY DEADLIFTS

Sumo Deadlift

3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x405
1x405
1x405

Back Extension

3 x 10

1 Like

Sunday 3/12

GYM WORKOUT

Bench Press

3x135
3x155
3x175
3x225
3x225

Seated Row

5 x 10 x 100

Lat Pull-down

5 x 10 x 100

2 Likes

Monday 3/13

EASY SQUATS

Goblet Squat

10x18
10x26
10x35
10x44
10x53
3x62
3x70

Back Squat

2x135
2x165
2x195
2x225
2x255

Sick kid at home today, so wanted to do something a little quicker and without making too much noise. Pretty easy day.

1 Like

Tuesday 3/14

STUFF

Goblet Squat

10x18
10x26
10x35
10x44
10x53
5x62
5x70

Axle Military Press

3x55
3x85
3x115
3x145
3x145

1 Like

Wednesday 3/15

BENCH PRESS

Goblet Squat

10x18
10x26
10x35
10x44
10x53

Bench Press

3x135
3x165
3x195
3x225
3x235
3x235
3x235

2 Likes

Thursday 3/16

KETTLEBELL PRESS

Kettlebell Press

10x18
10x18
8x26
8x26
6x35
6x35
4x44
4x44
2x53
2x53
2x53
2x53

Light pressing, but just doing this to get primed for starting the StrongFirst press program with my wife in the next few weeks.

2 Likes

Friday 3/17

DEADLIFT

Goblet Squat

3x18
3x26
3x35
3x44
3x53
3x62
3x70

Sumo Deadlift

3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x405
1x405

2 Likes

Saturday 3/18

KETTLEBELL PRESS

Kettlebell Press

12x18
12x18
12x26
12x26
12x35
12x35
12x44
12x44
12x53
12x53
8x62
8x62
4x70
4x70

Used this to set my training weights for the StrongFirst kettlebell press program that I will be starting up. You have to have an 11-15RM, 7-10RM, 4-6RM and 1-3RM for the 12-week program. I will start using the 53, 62, 70, and 80 respectively & seek to end the program comfortably pressing the 88 with each hand. If successful I will move the weights up and run the program again to see if I can get up to a 97, and if I’m still happy with how it’s going I may do it yet again to see if I can get up to a 106. This is nice, it gives me a concrete goal to work towards that’s been a longtime background goal but something I’ve never actually pursued in a well-structured way.

2 Likes

Sunday 3/19

GYM WORKOUT

Bench Press

3x135
3x155
3x175
3x225
3x225

Seated Row

4 x 10 x 100

Lat Pull-down

4 x 10 x 100

Pec Deck

4 x 10 x 100

BRIEF STATUS UPDATE

So a quick perusal of my training log makes it pretty clear that I’m sort of a Joe Garage Gym lifter that doesn’t follow all that much of a program other than “do some lifts you like with some weights that feel good” - and that’s mostly fine with me.

But my wife just did a 12 week beginner’s kettlebell program that she paid for from a real coach. She really liked having an actual program laid out for her - we have little kids and consequently little mental bandwidth, she always likes working out but found it exhausting to have to make up her own workouts.

Seeing her enjoyment of that, particularly her newfound interest in pursuing upper body strength (via the kettlebell press), I proposed that for her “next program” we concurrently run the StrongFirst Kettlebell Press Strength Plan. I like this for a couple of reasons: 1) I have dallied around with the idea of trying to press a 106-pound kettlebell for a long while but have never properly trained for it; 2) it’s a 3 days a week program with short sessions that fits nicely into busy lives (and also will fit nicely with some maintenance work on my big-3 lifts); 3) the focus on the press for a little while will build some overall strength for her that should suit her well if she wants to follow this with another 12-week program from that same coach. Once she’s able to confidently put a 44 pound bell into the rack position and overhead it will open up lots of options for her (get ups and other KB stuff will probably feel more manageable once she’s used to handling a heavier bell).

So anyways, we’ll give this program a run together for 12 weeks. If I like it I may run it again in succession a few times (trying to go “up a bell” each time until I press a 106).

1 Like

Monday 3/20

DYNAMIC EFFORT SQUAT

Box Squat

2x135
2x165
2x195
2x225
2x255
2x255
2x255

Back Extension

5 x 10

Easing my way back up to the “8 doubles” routine. Probably will try 5 or 6 doubles next week.

Tuesday 3/21

STRONGFIRST PRESS: WEEK 1, DAY 1

Kettlebell Press

3x26
3x26
3x44
3x44
3x62
3x62
4x62
4x62
3x62
3x62
5x62
5x62

For this workout, you use the “7-10RM” kettlebell for sets of 3, 4, 3, and 5 reps per hand. I did a set of 3 with the 26 and 44 with each hand to warm up, though not prescribed, just seems a bit sensible to do a few warmup reps. These workouts will get longer as the program goes.

1 Like

Wednesday 3/22

BENCH PRESS DAY

Goblet Squat

3x18
3x26
3x35
3x44
3x53
3x62

Bench Press

3x135
3x165
3x195
3x225
3x235
3x235
3x235

Thursday 3/23

STRONGFIRST PRESS: WEEK 1, DAY 2

Kettlebell Press

3x18
3x18
3x26
3x26
3x35
3x35
3x44
3x44
3x53
3x53
3x62
3x62
2x70
2x70
3x70
3x70
3x70
3x70

Only the lifts with the 70 (my “4-6RM” bell) are formally programmed in the StrongFirst plan, but I will start every one of these workouts by doing a triple with each hand from the 18-pound bell up to that day’s working weight as my warmup sets.

1 Like

Friday 3/24

EASY DEADLIFT

Sumo Deadlift

3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x405
1x405

Back Extension

5 x 10

2 Likes

Saturday 3/25

STRONGFIRST PRESS: WEEK 1, DAY 3

Kettlebell Press

3x18
3x18
3x26
3x26
3x35
3x35
3x44
3x44
6x53
6x53
7x53
7x53
8x53
8x53
1x62
1x62
1x70
1x70
1x80
1x80

1 Like

Sunday 3/26

GYM WORKOUT

Bench Press

3x135
3x155
3x185
3x225
3x225

Seated Row

5 x 10 x 100

Lat Pull-down

5 x 10 x 100

1 Like

Monday 3/27

DYNAMIC EFFORT SQUAT

Box Squat

2x135
2x165
2x195
2x225
2x255
2x255
2x255
2x255

Back Extension

5 x 10

1 Like