ActivitiesGuy Log III: StrongFirst Kettlebells & Deadlifts

Saturday 1/30 (AM)

KB Swing 10x88
Goblet Squat 1x88
KB Swing 15x88
Goblet Squat 2x88
KB Swing 20x88
Goblet Squat 3x88
KB Swing 25x88
Goblet Squat 4x88
KB Swing 30x88

KB Swing 10x88
10 Push-ups
KB Swing 10x88
10 Push-ups
KB Swing 10x88
10 Push-ups
KB Swing 10x88
10 Push-ups
KB Swing 10x88
10 Push-ups

KB Press (RH) 1x88
KB Press (LH) 1x88
KB Press (RH) 2x88
KB Press (LH) 2x88
KB Press (RH) 3x88
KB Press (LH) 3x88
KB Press (RH) 2x88
KB Press (LH) 2x88


Saturday 1/30 (PM)

Had some energy and it was a gorgeous day, so I took a nice long walk and stopped by the gym on the way home for…

DB Clean-N-Press

2x55
2x60
2x65
2x70
2x75
2x80
2x85
1x90
1x90
1x90
1x90
1x95
1x95
1x95
1x95
1x95
1x95

All done strict. I went to the gym with a vague notion that I might attempt a 100-pound strict one-arm press if I felt really good, but wasn’t quite feeling sharp enough with 95 to feel confident that I could nail it cleanly with 100. It’s not far away, though.

Sunday 1/31

Hot Yoga Class (90 Minutes)

Monday 2/1 (AM)

A1. KB Swing 10x88
A2. Seated Row 10x110

Five rounds.

B1. KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
B2. Seated Row 10x110

Five rounds.

DB Lat Raises 10x5’s, 10x10’s
DB Curls 10x15’s, 10x20’s
DB Hammer Curls 10x25’s, 10x30’s
DB Press 10x35’s, 10x40’s, 10x45’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88


Monday 2/1 (PM)

KB Clean-N-Press 15x2x88

KB Press (RH) 1x5x88 (PR)

Tuesday 2/2

Deadlift

5x135
5x135
5x225
4x245
3x275
2x295
1x315
1x335
1x335
1x365
1x365
1x315
1x315

Pull-ups

1x10

Wednesday 2/3

KB Swing

10 x 10 x 88
1 x 25 x 88

Thursday 2/4

KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Raise 10x5’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Raise 10x10’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Curls 10x15’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Curls 10x20’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Hammer Curls 10x25’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Hammer Curls 10x30’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88
DB Hammer Curls 10x35’s
KB Clean-N-Press 2x88

Friday 2/5

KB Swings 10 x 10 x 88
KB Press (RH) 1 x 88
KB Press (LH) 1 x 88
KB Press (RH) 2 x 88
KB Press (LH) 2 x 88
KB Press (RH) 3 x 88
KB Press (LH) 3 x 88

Saturday 2/6

Deadlift

5x135
5x135
1x225
1x225
1x245
1x245
1x275
1x275
1x295
1x295
1x315
1x315
1x335
1x335
1x365
1x365
1x410*
5x315

*The 410 deadlift made it all the way to lockout cleanly, but I didn’t hold it there for a beat as I normally try to so it may not have passed in a meet. It was sort of an up-and-right-back-down lift. Will attempt this again in a few weeks. The set of 5 with 315 was a nice way to re-set after that.

KB Snatch

10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45
10x45

DB Clean-N-Press

2x75
2x80
2x85
2x90
1x100 (RH)
1x100 (LH)

Here’s another big milestone - my first time strict-pressing 100 pounds with one arm. I was able to do it with both the right hand and the left hand, but both were pretty serious grinders. None-the-less, I am quite pleased to have put 100 pounds overhead with each hand today. I will have some good food to celebrate and recover :slight_smile:

Sunday 2/7 (AM)

Hot Yoga Class (90 Minutes)

Little delayed response, but great work. I think a lot of people could use reminding how simple (not necessarily easy) this whole lifting thing can be.

Oh, absolutely. Sometimes it really is as simple as just showing up and putting in the work consistently. Of course, getting to a higher level requires a higher level of that, but getting to “strong enough to pass as a guy who lifts weights” just requires…well, lifting weights.

Sunday 2/7 (PM)

KB Clean-N-Press 20x1x88

Monday 2/8

KB Press (RH) 1x88
KB Press (LH) 1x88
KB Swing 10x88
KB Press (RH) 2x88
KB Press (LH) 2x88
KB Swing 10x88
KB Press (RH) 3x88
KB Press (LH) 3x88
KB Swing 10x88
KB Press (RH) 4x88
KB Press (LH) 4x88
KB Swing 10x88

Absolutely, I’m the archetypal ex-nerd turned lifter (see Th3Pwnishers latest blog post), I find it hard to not overthink these things and try and find the most effective, elegantly designed program. And yet I’m still aware that I made the best progress with a “make it up as I go along, do whatever I feel like with full on intensity” approach.

Good stuff here. I haven’t counted a rep or set in years and can certainly back up what you’re saying. Hit the basics consistently.

Thanks for dropping by my log. I’ll be around. Have you ever messed around with the “iron club”?

Seems up your alley. I’ve been loving them.

Tuesday 2/9

Deadlift

5x135
5x135
1x225
1x225
1x245
1x245
1x275
1x275
1x315
7x315 (rep PR)

Really happy with the finishing set of 7x315. All smooth and easy.

Wednesday 2/10

KB Press

16 x 1 x 88
2 x 3 x 88

Thursday 2/11

DB Lat Raise 10x5’s
DB Front Raise 10x10’s
DB Curl 10x15’s
DB Hammer Curl 10x20’s
DB Alternating Curl 10x25’s
DB Press 10x30’s
DB Press 10x35’s
DB Press 10x40’s
DB Press 10x45’s
DB Press 10x50’s
KB Press 1x88
KB Press 1x88
KB Press 1x88
KB Press 1x88
KB Press 1x88
KB Press 1x88

Friday 2/12

KB Press

10x1x88
6x2x88
2x3x88

Saturday 2/13

Deadlift

5x135
5x135
1x225
1x225
1x225
1x225
1x225
1x225
1x315
1x315
1x335
1x335
1x365
1x365
1x385
1x410
1x415 (kinda)
1x415 (solid, PR)

First attempt with 415 I started to lose it as I approached lockout, so I decided to take it again and crushed it (held that one at lockout for a solid count of one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two).

Progress continues apace.