Saturday, January 31, 2015

10,000 Swings Later...

Greetings,

January in recent years has been the "10,000 Swings Challenge Month". Without it, I would have never written my Kindle guides on the challenges I've done and created. "Just Swing It!" has been my best selling Kindle guide out of the bunch, and continues to be my top seller each month.

It is amazing what happens when you commit yourself to a 10,000 kettlebell swings challenge for one month.  Its basically an average of 333 swings a day.  An easy way to spread it out is 400, 300, and 300 every 3 days. 

As you may have noticed, I have a typical pattern of doing swings in a set time and resting a set time.  The average I've typically done is 100 swings every 4 minutes.  At this rate, 300 swings only takes 12 minutes, 400 swings takes 16. 

Even if you're new to it, and do it every 5 minutes, 300 takes 15 minutes, 400 takes about 20.

Its a great high intensity interval workout to do and hey, it only requires a stopwatch and a kettlebell.

No expensive cardio machines needed here.

Check out Just Swing It! right here: http://tinyurl.com/jsiasap

For only 99 cents, it can be up and on your Kindle. 

If you're ready for more challenges, check out the rest of my guides at http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

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KB&C Update: 

Today's workout was minus the kettlebells and back on the indoor bike for a change. I felt I needed a good ride and with the temperature drop outside, an indoor ride while watching WWE Network is a bit more appealing.

It was a 20 minute ride for 7 miles on the readout.

Coffee afterwards? Yes, it was my new OG Black Gold BrewKup version. 

 
I had my first cups yesterday at work in the afternoon, and I really love the taste of this coffee.  Tastes richer than the sachet version of OG Black Coffee.  It is a bit more but I can get 2 servings out of a cup and that makes it last a bit longer.
 
It was a nice morning kick after a ride.
 
Order yourself some at http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee
 
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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick

Friday, January 30, 2015

It's Another Day For KB Snatches

Greetings,

Today was another weekly attack on some kettlebell snatches. Each week I've been trying to devote at least one day to doing KB snatches, as I feel they are about the best total body attack on the body.

Past weeks in my log have shown I've been doing 10 minute workouts with snatches, but today it was a 15 minute one.  I'm getting used to a 35# size for doing them and after 10 minutes of that, I added another 5 minutes of snatches with a 40# kettlebell.

I followed the 20/10 work/rest pattern once again, getting 5 reps in each side.  My style of choice was doing a 'snatch, lower, lower' pattern of reps. I start in the bottom swing position, snatch it up, then lower it to my shoulder in the 'rack' position, then lower it once again to the bottom of a swing position. This gets me 5 in a round of 20 seconds.

I've done a 'snatch-swing' pattern in the past, which is snatching it up, and then letting it swing back down again, and continuing the snatch-swing style.  The advantage to that method is you can get more reps in a 20 second period. I can get 7-8 reps in with this style, but it does tax you quicker. In time I will get back to this method, because I've done it in the past and honestly, it smokes you.

I tried a workout from "Viking Warrior Conditioning", a unique protocol on doing KB Snatches to increase VO2 Max. I did it years ago when the book came out and it's one of those program that you have to prepare for, and not just jump into on any Monday. My intention is to build myself up to that once again and help it boost my VO2 for running/cycling purposes.

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I did get my K-Cup maker yesterday, its a single serve unit that makes a pretty good cup of coffee. It was another OG Black Coffee morning.  My BrewKup ones should be coming in today from OG, the Black Gold flavor. 

If you want to try a sample out, just ask me for one.

I will be making another order soon, so if you want some OG coffee ordered for you, just let me know.

http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee
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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick

http://tinyurl.com/rkofp - Kindle Guides with plenty of KB workouts!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The 4-2-4 10 Minute Workout

Greetings on this fine morning,

Yesterday's run after work was warmer than usual, but got damp and chilly out in a hurry. I tried something different on my usual run and wanted to add some speed work in it.  I ran around the college for my first mile as a good warm-up, then jogged a short way back to an empty parking lot. I was curious how the parking lot would work as a makeshift track for some speed sessions. 

Down and back across the parking lot was approximately 20 percent of a mile, so I did .15 hard, with .o5 walking recovery.  The .15 took about 1 minute to do, the .05 walk taking about 30 seconds. 

This ended up being about a 20 minute workout in all. I think I found a makeshift track in the future for some 300m equivalent intervals.

This morning's brief workout was a "4-2-4" routine, following the 20/10 work/rest pattern. It was 4 minutes of one exercise, 2 minutes of another, and 4 minutes of one more exercise. It becomes a very brief, 10 minute total body workout.  My exercise choices were:

4 minutes of Swings
2 minutes of Push-Ups
4 minutes of the Ab Wheel

I like the 4-2-4 pattern if I'm looking at a short workout to do.  Sometimes I've repeated the pattern for a good 20 minute routine.

If you like short, brief 10-15 or up to 20 minute workouts, and want to just follow along, get the Home Workout Revolution series from Craig Ballantyne.

They are all bodyweight exercises, but you can substitute weighted movements if you like.

Check out http://tinyurl.com/cbhwrevsale for some more info on this program.

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Coffee this morning is OG Black Coffee. Today I should be getting my K-cup maker in the mail, while Friday, my new OG Coffee should be here. The Black Gold series in the BrewKup option is part of my package.

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Swing & Sip!
Kindle Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
OG Coffee: http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Kettlebells, Run, Kettlebells, Run

Greetings,

I'm getting used to the pattern of two workouts a day recently.  I basically do kettlebells in the morning and after work, I'll go for a run. The runs aren't very fast, pretty much going 'easy' and steady for me at this point. With temps being in the 30's lately, I can go at a nice steady clip.

Yesterday's run was for a 20 minute jaunt at 8 minutes/mile pace. still a fair amount of puddles and slush to contend with on the streets.  Yesterday was also pretty damp in the air, but still warmer than usual for January.

Today's workout was another Heavy Swings workout with my 52# kettlebell, doing 1 Arm Swings every 5 reps up to 50 reps a set.  This took about 90 seconds to do, with 30 seconds rest.

This ended up being 300 reps total for the workout in roughly 12 minutes.

This afternoon I will once again head out for another run as the temps still look decent for a run.

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The coffee today is some OG Black Coffee.  At work, I've been liking a pack of sugar in it, sometimes a little creamer. Its not every time, but its good to mix up the taste a bit.

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Swing & Sip!

Kindle Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
OG Coffee & More: http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The 10 Minute Kettlebell Blast

Greetings,

Yesterday I had a great run in the afternoon with the nice temps we are still lucky to be having. I went for a good 3 miler and given the new hot-spot blisters I developed, I'm hoping for a good run this afternoon as well.

Since I've been splitting up my workouts lately, I like keeping the morning workouts short & brief with the kettlebells.  Today was one of those workouts with the 40# kettlebell and a GymBoss Timer ticking off my 20/10 work to rest ratio's.

If you don't have a GymBoss Timer, get one, especially if you like the 20/10 patterns of doing your workouts.

Today's 10 Minute Kettlebell Blast was simply:

5 minutes of 20/10 work of 1 Arm KB Cleans (10 per side)

5 minutes of 20/10 work of 1 Arm KB Clean & Press (5 per side)

This was 100 Cleans, then 50 Clean & Presses.

Its short, concise, and works great if you do double workouts in a day.  I really like double workout days if I'm working on new goals, since I can get in a morning jolt to my day, and then one in the evening. 

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Morning coffee today is the good stuff: OG Black Gourmet Coffee.  I did order some Black Gold in the K-Cups version so they will come soon after my new K-Cup maker comes in as well.  I've been putting off getting a K-Cup style maker and decided on a single serve style one that I ordered last week. It should be here this week.  My coffee should also show up later in the week as well.

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If you want to taste some great coffee with your friends, ask me about putting on a Kettlebells & Coffee Mixer for your group of friends.

You'll get some free coffee out of the deal (my treat) and your friends will get to sip some great coffee samples as well.

Contact me today to setup a time. Check out the products at http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee as well.

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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick

http://tinyurl.com/rkofp - Kindle Guides
http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee - OG Coffee

Monday, January 26, 2015

KB&C: Start Your Week With Swings

Greetings,

After a weekend off to recover & rest, I started off this week with a series of Swings to get my Monday going.  Swings are a good, basic staple to use and doing 100 every 4 minutes is a great way to get 500 in, within 20 minutes of time.

That's exactly what I did for a workout, doing 100 swings every 4 minutes. 100 swings takes about 2:40 of time to do, so every 4 minutes gives you 1:20 to rest.  Its just about a perfect 2 to 1, work to rest ratio.  I used my 40# kettlebell for this workout.

This afternoon after work, I plan to run since the temps will once again be wonderful for this area. It is supposed to be in the 40's and for January, that means its pretty sweet for an outdoor run around here.

The running workouts went pretty good last week with such nice weather, and its looking pretty similar this week until the weekend. 

=======
As for the coffee this morning, its OG Black Coffee once again. Its starting to be a nice morning staple after my workout as well.

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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick
Kindle Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
OG Coffee, Tea, and More: http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Run When You Can, Drink Coffee If You Must

Greetings,

Since yesterday morning's plans for an outdoor run were nixed by icy & slick streets, my running workout got moved to a much warmer afternoon.

Temps were in the low 40's, so when its that warm in ND in January, you just gotta get out there.

I went around my usual 1 mile loop around the college, then turned back a 1/4 mile to a corner. I figured I'd add in a little speed to the workout since the east side of the college was pretty clear and free from icy/slushy areas. There were even softball players out in the parking lot (an empty one) hitting some balls as I ran alongside this road. Yes, it was NICE out!

I did a 1/4 mile in under 90 seconds, turned around to jog back to the corner, then did another 1/4 mile under 90 seconds. It was a short 2 mile workout in all and was perfect to get in after work and just before sundown and a game I had to leave to.

I've done a lot of 2-a-day workout days this week, so today is a rest day for me.

Which means its time to drink and enjoy some coffee this morning!

OG's Black Coffee is once again my choice selection. Its a very affordable gourmet coffee and so simple to make.  I've had instant coffees before and OG's Black Coffee is the best instant coffee that doesn't taste like an instant coffee!

I just ordered a K-cup maker and plan to try some OG coffee in the K-cup format as well.

It is one thing I like about Organo Gold's selection of coffees is that you not only enjoy them and have many options, but it is "The Coffee That Pays".  It is as easy as Sip, Sample, and Share.  Ask me for a free sample of some OG Black Coffee and you will taste and see what I'm talking about.

If you want to hold a "Kettlebells & Coffee Mixer", where you'll learn a little about fitness with kettlebells as well as enjoy some coffee, get in touch with me and I will help you put on a K&C Mixer.

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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick
http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee - OG products
http://tinyurl.com/rkofp - Kindle guides by Coach Rick

Friday, January 23, 2015

KB&C: Run, then No Run, then Swings...and Coffee

Greetings,

I started out the morning with the intention of an outdoor run, but the streets were way too slick to get a grip on.  I only made it around an entire block length, carefully, and came back inside for some KB swings.

Today's Swing workout was a 52# kettlebell attack.

Started off with 100 reps, alternating arms every 5 reps. I rested until 4 minutes.

I then followed it up with 50 rep sets every 2 minutes for the next 4 minutes.

I finished it off with another 100 rep set in under 3 minutes.

300 reps in all.  I'm hoping to get out for a decent run in the afternoon after work today. Temps should be in the middle 30's, which is great for January.

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Today's coffee choice is a double whammy of Folger's light roast and my OG Black Coffee packet. It's a strong mix of mine created for a good jolt. 

You can get Folgers just about anywhere, but OG can be found directly through OG distributors. Get yours here: http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee

Ask me about Sip, Sample & Share - asaptrainer1@gmail.com

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick

Thursday, January 22, 2015

KB&C: KB Snatches & the 20/10 Pattern

Greetings,

Last night was another after-work running workout, getting a 3 miler in, under 24 minutes. The weather has been real nice for outdoor winter runs, although I don't quite like the icy/snowy mix of areas on the streets.  Some sections you just can't avoid them, and only be careful on them.

Today's workout called for some KB Snatches, an old favorite of mine. I went with the 35# kettlebell this time.

I followed the 20/10 work/rest pattern, getting 5 good reps in per 20 second set. This is 10 per minute, and 10 minutes of it gets you a quick 100 rep workout in.

I could talk forever about the beauty of the 20/10 pattern of work/rest ratio's, they really help create an efficient workout style that is easy to time and build circuits with.

After following the Home Workout Revolution series for quite some time, you can see why I love the 20/10 pattern so much.  10-20 minute workouts become a very fun and effective thing to do.

Check out the HWR workouts right here: http://tinyurl.com/cbhwrevsale

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Coffee on tap this morning is once again OG's Gourmet Black Coffee. 

Check out the flavors that OG has for you at http://tinyurl.com/kbcoffee

Curious on how to get it for less and help others enjoy this great coffee? Its the coffee that pays! Ask me about "Sip, Sample & Share!"

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

KB&C: Another Swing & Sip Morning

Greetings,

I had a good run after work last night, doing my usual 20 minute run for 2.5 miles, taking another route this time and just enjoying the mild temps this week.  After weeks of 0 to -20 temps with the occasionally warmer day here and there, its nice to have a stretch of milder weather in January.

My workout this morning was another Kettlebell Swings workout with the 40# KB. It went pretty simple:

Alternate arms every 10 reps, up to 200 each set.

I got 200 in about 5:15, rested until 7:00, then did another 200 straight. 400 was plenty this morning, as I'm planning another run tonight after work.

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Coffee selection this morning is once again Organo Gold's Gourmet Black Coffee. I've been sipping on this coffee for almost 2 weeks now and this coffee makes me feel great.  2-3 cups, spread throughout the day, keep things going for me. An easy, portable instant mix packet is nice to take to work.

If you're curious how it tastes, ask me about the "Sip, Sample, & Share" offer I have for you.

Check out more of what is offered at http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

The coffee comes in plenty of options, such as sachets or in K-cup format.  Join the Coffee Connoisseur Club and get your coffee, latte, mocha, tea, even hot chocolate on Auto-Ship.

Join the CCC today and start getting some great coffee at http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com
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Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick

Kindle Training Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

KB&C: Cleans + Abs + Coffee

Greetings,

Today's KB&C started off with some simple 1-Arm KB Cleans with the 40#, following the 20/10 pattern of 20s work, 10s rest.  I can get in 10 reps per 20 seconds, so its basically 20 reps/minute total.

The KB 1-Arm Cleans went for 10 minutes total, 200 reps in all.

After the Cleans, I went to the Ab Roller wheel I got and stuck with the same 20s work, 10s rest pattern. Following the 20/10 way of doing things, I can get 5 reps per set, so I got in 50 reps in total on that.

Makes for a good 15 minute workout. Later today I plan to run, since this week is looking very nice for some runs outside.

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As for the coffee selection, its once again back to the classic and original OG Black Coffee.
It makes a great cup of gourmet coffee to start your day, after a good workout of course.

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick

Kindle Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
Awesome Coffee & More: http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Monday, January 19, 2015

Coffee, Run, Coffee

Greetings,

With a day off from work, it was a good morning to sleep in, let the temp rise a little bit, then go out for a run.

I started it off with a cup of OG Black Coffee, and about 45 minutes later, was out for my morning run. The streets were still pretty slick out in most spots, so that kept my speed down to a steady, easy pace.  I was almost dressed too warm, but I'd rather be too warm then cold and chilled on the run.

The run was just another 2.5 mile jaunt for 20 minutes.  My GPS watch is pretty helpful with keeping me on pace and letting me know where I am at with my speed. 

After the run, I  got another cup of OG Black Coffee mixed into a cup of regular Folgers.  It is my concoction of a double-shot of coffee.  I wouldn't want to do this every day, but I wanted to try it out and see how it tasted. 

Verdict?  I'd do it again, I loved the taste of it.  Maybe a little sugar or cream next time.

Tomorrow, it will be a return to the kettlebells.  Maybe even later today I will do a Swings workout if I'm up to it. 

Are you up for a Swings Challenge? Try the 5000 Swings Program up above.

Its free and ready for you to try.

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick

http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Recovery & Coffee Day, 10 Years of Kettlebells

Greetings Kettlebells & Coffee Lovers,

Today is a Recovery day on the calendar.  I have a love/hate relationship with Recovery days.  I know my body needs them, but I also feel like I need to workout and not skip a day.  Perhaps its part of the fitness culture of working out hard, never quitting, and a recovery day is seen by some as a 'quitting' kind of day.

However, through the course of time, I've seen the importance of recovery days.  At first, they were just a total rest day and nothing was really done.  Sometimes if I did feel like doing something, I'd do a very light workout.  A time when this comes up is during the summer for me, when your rest days just happen to be some of the nicer days of summer, and you can't really pass up a 70 degree day with light wind and your bike is calling you to ride it on that day.

When things like that happen, your rest day might move to another day, 1-2 days down the road.

Another thing I now do on rest days is I at least get in some foam rolling.  I touched on this yesterday in the blog, but it really helps on your days off to foam roll across your muscles and work the tight spots you have.  Foam rollers are in abundance in retail stores and sporting goods outlets. They have been around for a few years and they are here to stay, simply because of their effectiveness in aiding muscle recovery and also in warming up muscles for exercise.

Get yourself a foam roller if you are having issues with your muscles being tight, sore and bothersome after rough workouts. They do wonders for the body before a workout and after a workout. 

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10 Years of Kettlebells:  It hit me this past week that I've been training with kettlebells since early 2005. I remember first hearing of KB's in 2003 and after seeing more stories about them on the internet and in a couple magazines, I looked into getting some of my own... but my first introduction to them was actually a set of kettlebell handles, in which I put on 1" standard size weights to make my kettlebell weights. 

The KB handles worked well for Swings, Cleans, and were a little awkward for Snatches but they were okay once I got my form down.  I used KB handles for quite a few months and then got my own 25# and 35# kettlebells.  They weren't quite mainstream at that point and I could only get them online. Later in 2005 and 2006, they started popping up in bigger sporting goods stores. 

In 2005, I started my own training business and added more to my collection.  It was mainly a lot of 15 to 20 pound KB's to cater to my boot camp structure and primarily female clientele.

Later on I'd get 40, 45 and 52# KB's.  I still have a fair collection of the following:
One 30#, 2-35#'s, one 40#, one 45#, and one 52# kettlebell.

I've used these in my private training sessions and also with athletic teams I've coached. When I left my last coaching job, I donated a lot of 15-20# kettlebells to the high school.  I don't do private training any more, so they are best used at a HS setting than sitting at my place.

In the past 10 years, I've seen many different styles and methods of training with kettlebells. There are a number of 'styles', such as Hard Style (first method I used and learned) and then the "Soft Style", which was more of a Kettlebell Sport focused method.  At first I was wary of Soft Style, then I was invited to learn more about it through a message post on a message board from the AKC.  It was a warm, non-intimidating message to take a look at it.  I bought the guide that was suggested and it allowed me to see that there is more than one way to swing or clean or snatch a kettlebell.

I often wonder about turning my focus on Kettlebell Sport at some time in my training, but I am a runner and director of races.  Running kind of takes up my biggest focus. I ride bike for additional fun and enjoyment of my summer and to complement my summer training.  Kettlebells for now are my main choice of strength training and supplemental cardio (swings, cleans and snatches are powerful, explosive activities on their own).   Perhaps down the road I will look at training specifically for KB Sport, but for now, I'll still worry about 5K's and 10K's.

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A great cup of coffee helps perk you up on any day, and it really feels great on a Recovery day's morning. Today, I've had both an OG Black Coffee to start my day, and later an OG Latte. 
After a good week of OG Black Coffee, I love the taste and the ease of making it.  My little one-cup coffee maker works great for just making hot water for me, and adding my OG to the cup. 

All I simply do is open the OG sachet and put it in my cup, brew the hot water into it, stir, and sip!
No coffee grounds to dump out, no filters to use.  All that's wasted is a small pouch.

I think ease of use is another reason the "BrewKup" K-Cup options of OG work so well too. People love just putting in a K-Cup, selecting their size of cup, and dispose of a small K-Cup afterwards.

If you want a great tasting, healthy, and organic coffee choice, OG may be right for you.

Check out all the flavors and options, and also the opportunity to sell this great product, at http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com/products/

Join the Coffee Connoisseur's Club and get OG coffee on Auto-Ship each month! Save yourself from picking up coffee at the store and get it sent right to you.

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick

Saturday, January 17, 2015

KB&C - Another Run & Coffee Instead, & Recovery

Greetings,

The weather was a little questionable for a run today, since the temps were about 32 and the wind was gusty with some light snow as well. However, I do have an outdoor race coming up in about a month and you never know if the conditions will be like that or not.  So, I decided just to get out there and go for one of my basic runs again.

It was just another 20 minute, 2.5 mile run along my usual route.  Streets were a little slick but the key is just keeping your speed okay and under control.

Tomorrow I am easily taking a rest day. Looking on my training log, I've had a lot of days of workouts lately and my body is calling for a good rest day.

Foam rolling does help you a lot on doing a 10-15 minute routine on a recovery day.  I highly recommend it as a recovery aid and tool to use. I also use it to warm up my legs before a run and get my hips and lower back feeling ready for a run.

I also use rolling massage sticks (many variations on these right now), having used these throughout the last decade.  I was first introduced to "The Stick" device (actual name) in 2000 and have been with them ever since.  The latest variation I've enjoyed is the 'sea urchin' stick, as my old track kids would call it.  It had 3, prickly balls on a roller stick and even though it looked funny, it really helped dig down into tight areas in calves, quads, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings for runners.

A 'sea urchin' type roller stick can be bought at Target for under $20, if you are looking for an inexpensive recovery and warm-up aid in one.

As for my coffee this morning, I got plenty of OG Black Coffee around and served up another cup.  I may have a Latte later in the morning.

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Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick

http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com
http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Friday, January 16, 2015

KB&C: The 300 Workout

Greetings,

Today's Kettlebells & Coffee calls for a brief Swings workout and another hot cup of OG Black Coffee.

The KB Swings workout was used with a 52# kettlebell, doing 1 Arm Swings, 5 per side, in sets of 50. 

50 reps takes approximately 1:25 to do, so I rested 35 seconds and went for 50 reps every 2 minutes.

I did this pattern until 8 minutes (200 reps) and then got in a final 100 reps to finish it, completing the workout by 11 minutes. 

Another thing of note, I also do some foam rolling on my legs and back before I start up a workout, this takes about 5 minutes to do and gets things pretty loosened up.

As for the coffee, I'm sipping on another Organo Gold Black Coffee cup. 

This weekend is looking pretty good for a run, and I may try another run after work if the weather is decent enough.

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I've had some interest in the OG Coffee come my way. I can help you throw a "Kettlebells & Coffee" mixer to host a party.  You'll get some basic info on kettlebell training and a little bit on OG Coffee too.  Contact me at asaptrainer1@gmail.com to host your own KB&C mixer.

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Swing and Sip!
Coach Rick
http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Thursday, January 15, 2015

No KB's: But a Run and some Coffee

Greetings,

When I got up this morning and noticed just how much warmer it is than just a few days ago, ( it was -17 in the morning on Monday) at a balmy 23 degrees, I had to go for a run.

Yes, when it warms up to 20 degrees, it feels just fine for a run in this part of the country.

I went for my typical 2.5 mile running route I take.  People may say its boring to do the same route over and over, but I like it for a number of reasons:

1. Landmarks give you natural checkpoints to see how fast or slow you're going.
2. Repeatable testing: things like the natural checkpoints on speed allows you to measure your workouts.
3. You can record how well you do in certain conditions if you run the same routes. If you have a severely windy day and get a  certain time, you can judge it against past windy day performances.

I know my 2.5 mile run times are slower in the winter, mainly due to footing on the roads I run on. I don't go as fast as I can with a clean street.  I'm sometimes 1-2 minutes faster on this route in the fall, than I am in the winter right now.

After my run and a shower, it was time for some great OG Black Coffee. Coffee after a run just goes great together. You get the alertness and natural "wake up call" from your run and get to amp it up with a cup of coffee afterwards. OG Black Coffee gives me a great kickoff to the day after a workout.

Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick
Kindle Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
OG Coffee: http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

KB&C: Another 500 Workout

Greetings,

Today's Kettlebells and Coffee called for more Swings and of course, more coffee.

I did another Swings workout with the 40# kettlebell, alternating every 10 reps per arm for 200 reps. This took about 5:30 in time, so I rested for 1:30 and at the 7:00 minute mark, it was another 200. At the 14 minute mark, another 100 was done to get my 500 total swings in.

Currently, I'm enjoying my Organo Gold Black Coffee.  Yesterday at work, I did try out the Latte and Mocha samples.  Very tasty coffee that also comes in the sachets for ease of use at home or work.

It looks like the weather is going to warm up for some running outside soon, so I am looking forward to that.

Are you looking for a kettlebell challenge to do?  I have a few for your to view, check out the 5000 Swings Program up above in the links for a quick look at the volume it takes to get in just 5000 Swings in one month.

Until next time,

Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick
http://tinyurl.com/rkofp
http://rkarboviak/myorganogold.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

KB&C: Double The Fun

Greetings,

Today's Kettlebells & Coffee routine called for double the fun: 2 kettlebells used for Double Clean & Jerks.

Since I got a pair of 35# kettlebells, and its my only pair, I gotta get used to doing "doubles". I have put it off for too long.

I've decided to use the 20/10 method for doing the Double lifts: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest per set.

For the C&J (Clean & Jerk), I can get 3 quality reps in per set, 6 per minute.

I aimed for 10 minutes at a minimum and 15 for a maximum, easily getting to 10 and stopping at 15 minutes. This was 90 reps total for the day.

It is a good flow to the workout with the 20/10 routine.  I use a GymBoss timer to do the automatic timing for me. 

A person could just watch a stopwatch or a wall clock with the second hand and follow along too.  I know some people use GymBoss's interval timer app on their smartphone.

As for the coffee, its another hot cup of Organo Gold Black Coffee.  I'm loving the taste of it now and the handy sachets come in handy at work.  Just empty them into a cup, heat up a serving of hot water through a Keurig (or my small 1-cup maker at home) and there are no grounds to empty or cup to toss. 

Want a sample? Just ask me for one. I can mail some out to you. 

Want to throw a party?  Let me come over and put on a "Kettlebells and Coffee" mixer.  Learn a little about kettlebells and also OG Coffee! Send me a note and let's put on a mixer.

Until tomorrow, keep Swinging and Sipping!

Coach Rick

OG Coffee: http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com
Kindle Training Guides: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Monday, January 12, 2015

KB&C: Swings Workout, and the new Coffee is here!

Greetings,

My computer was on the fritz this weekend, but that didn't stop me from working out and sipping the new coffee that came in on Friday!

Saturday was a day of rest and recovery, while Sunday was a Total Body Workout of the following:

20/10 style for 10 minutes
4 minutes of Swings
4 minutes of Clean & Presses
2 minutes of Ab Wheel Rollouts

Bonus: 100 continuous Swings in 2:30 of time.

All KB exercises done with 40# kettlebell.

Today's workout was purely Swings:
200 consecutive, 5:15 of time. Rested until 7:00
100 Swings, rested til 11 minutes.
200 Swings, done around 16:15 for time.

500 Swings in all.

As for the coffee, my new Organo Gold Black Coffee came in and I tried it out over the weekend.

It comes in some pretty handy sachets to just open and mix in with hot water. Works great if you just make some hot water and leave it in your cup as the water gets poured over it. Stir just a little and your cup of black coffee is set!  This box contains 30 sachets.

If you have Keurig cup coffee makers, just make a cup of hot water with your serving size and mix in your OG coffee sachet of choice.  OG does make some coffee in K-Cup options, too.  As for me, I prefer the sachets for taking your coffee with you anywhere.

If you are interested in OG coffee, get a hold of me for a sample, all I mainly have is Black Coffee samples and just a few samples of Hot Chocolote, Latte, and Mocha.

If you live locally, lets get together for a coffee mixer around your coffee maker for some delicious samples of gourmet organic coffee!

http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick Karboviak


Friday, January 9, 2015

KB&C: Clean, Press, Rollout

Greetings,

Today's Kettlebells & Coffee is a brief workout.  Last night I ran after work, so it was time for a short workout this morning.  I've also worked out many days in a row and I think its time for a rest day on Saturday. I might move the rest day to Sunday. I'll see how I feel on Saturday.

After reading some things on double KB exercises, and having only a double set of 35# kettlebells, I felt today would be a good trial day to see how some 20/10 work could feel with Double KB lifts.

I chose Double KB Clean & Presses, getting 3 solid reps in for every 20/10 work/rest set. I got 6 per minute that way, and did 5 minutes total of it.

After that, I did 5 minutes of Ab Wheel Rollouts, getting 5 reps for every 20/10 period.

All in all, it was 60 reps of C&P's, then 50 reps of rollouts in 10 minutes time.

If you are looking for condensed workouts to try, a 20/10 pattern works great.  Been doing it for a number of years now and I love the efficiency of it.

Today's Coffee:  Might be my last day of Folgers in the morning, since my OG Black Coffee packs should be coming in today.  At work, I still got some Dark Italian Roast to go through. 

Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick

Get your OG Coffee here:
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Need to Just Swing It on the Kettlebells? http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Thursday, January 8, 2015

KB&C: Brewing some KB Snatches

Greetings,

Today's KB&C workout called for doing some Kettlebell Snatches.  Snatches are a very technical, but full body, explosive lift with kettlebells. I've tried doing double snatches but feel that 1 Arm Snatches work best for me. The 1 Arm Snatch allows you to work one side, then the other side, and repeat it back and forth over time.

I started to get back into them last Saturday with a 10 minute routine using a 35#, and 5 minutes using a 40# KB. Today, it was just a 40# KB to use.

20/10 work/rest format, 5 reps per side
10 reps/minute total, 100 reps total.

The snatch style I sued was a "Snatch, lower, lower" type of pattern. 

As I snatched it up, I then lowered it to my shoulder in the "rack" position, then lowered it from there into the bottom of a Swing position.  As soon as it was lowered to the bottom position, I snatched it back up. 

Doing it this way, I can get about 5 reps done in 18-19 seconds. 

If I did it continuously, from the top of the snatch to the bottom of the swing position, I can get in more reps in 20 seconds, usually 7-8.  I will save that style for later, while for now, I am getting used to snatches after a long break from doing them.

As for the coffee: my Organo Gold should be coming on Friday by UPS. For now, its still Folgers in the morning at home, and some Italian Dark Roast waiting for me at work.

-------------
Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick
For Awesome Coffee: http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com
Kettlebell Guides & More: http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

1/7/15 KB&C Total Body Workout

Greetings,

Today was another Total Body day with the kettlebell. I used a 40# kettlebell for the following:

2 minutes of 1 Arm Swings
4 minutes of 1 Arm Clean & Presses
4 minutes of Ab Carver wheel rollouts
Repeat above cycle for a 20 minute workout

I once again followed Monday's workout pattern of 20s work, 10s rest on each set.

Overall counts:
100 swings
80 C&P's
80 Rollouts

Coffee today on tap is Folgers once again at home, some Eight O-Clock Dark Italian Roast for work.

My Organo Gold coffee is on its way to me, just got notification that its sent.
Check out the Black Coffee that I'm getting, right here:
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

1/6/15 KB&C

Greetings,

Today's KB&C was a good dose of Swings.

Swings are a solid, all-around go-to exercise for a change in cardio and a mix of strength/endurance. I've done 10,000 KB Swing Challenges and they've helped me greatly in keeping my body in great shape when running miles are lower in the winter.

Today's workout was with a 52# KB, doing 50 reps every 2 minutes, switching hands every 5 reps. Do the math, and its 400 swings in under 16 minutes.

50 reps would take about 1:20-25 to do. I did 50 reps every 2 minutes so I'd have about 35 seconds rest between sets.

Today's coffee: still some Folgers at home and another Eight O-Clock Italian Roast at work.

Curious about Swings programs?   I have the 5,000 Swings Program for free up above in the links. I also have Just Swing It! on Kindle. http://tinyurl.com/rkofp

Swing and Sip!

Coach Rick
KB&C
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Monday, January 5, 2015

Monday's Daily KB&C

Greetings,

Here is today's KB&C routine

Total Body Workout

20/10 format, 40# KB used

2 Minutes: 1 Arm Swings
2 Minutes: 1 Arm Cleans
2 Minutes: 1 Arm Clean & Press
4 Minutes: Ab Carver wheel
Repeat above for a 20 minute circuit in total.

This workout was a good little 20 minute circuit of some kettlebell basics of swings, cleans, and clean & press combo's. Toss in the ab carver wheel for a 4 minute round of abs and it works you pretty well.

Today's coffee on tap:
Folgers at home, an Eight O'clock Dark Italian Roast in the Keurig at work.

Enjoy your day and make the most of it!

Coach Rick
http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Daily KB&C

Greetings,

Today's KB&C installment is a kettlebell workout of Swings.

I did a 400 Swings workout today with a 40# bell.

I did the 20/10 format of work/rest every 30 seconds.

I followed this cycle:

12 reps left, 12 reps right
13 reps left, 13 reps right

This is 50 reps in 2 minutes, 100 in 4 minutes, 400 in 16 minutes.

I'd hold the kettlebell in the rack position between reps, this momentary rest of 10s between sets still gets your body to work at stabilizing the load.  Just switch hands after each set and clean up the KB to the rack position.  Let it drop down and start your next set of swings.

For the coffee, still working on that good old Folgers for now. Ready for cup #2....

Swing & Sip!

Coach Rick

http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Saturday, January 3, 2015

New Year, New Blog Name, New Focus

Greetings,

The former Rats Alley Barbell Club blog that I had here is no longer the name of this place.  Originally named after the little trail behind the city auditorium in Finley, ND, the blog was in a sense, an online home for basic barbell and kettlebell training programs and other fitness related stuff. After I moved from Finley, I really didn't keep up with the blog. I was no longer coaching and ended up helping to start up a new running club.  The focus for me now is on the local running community, but I still get asked a lot about training programs for runners as well as for general fitness.

I started up a new rewards program for fitness testing on a 2-Mile Trial, called the Podium Power System.  You can check out that new program here: http://podiumpowersystem.com

However, I became inspired for a new change and direction for this blog after a couple months ago. A lot of mornings, I'd simply post a Facebook status update as:

"It's another Kettlebells and Coffee morning." and then add a little bit about the workout for that morning. I liked it, people liked it, I figured its a unique combination.

I also came across a new online business that sells organic coffee. Then it hit me: change the blog's name and direction to "Kettlebells and Coffee".  Tell people about kettlebell workouts, and also about coffee.

So, to start things off, here was today's Kettlebell workout that I did:

Kettlebell Snatches:

1 Arm Snatches, 35# bell used
20/10 work/rest format (20s work, 10s rest), 5 reps per 20s period.

10 minutes of 20/10 using the 35# bell
5 minutes of 20/10 using the 40# bell

Just a quick, 15 minute workout to get back into doing kettlebell snatches. Snatches are a very demanding exercise with high technicality, and its why I keep the workouts brief.

I enjoyed the coffee afterwards, too.  Folgers... nothing too fancy, just simple and black.

I haven't got the new organic coffee yet, but I did get it ordered today. Its the Black Coffee package of 30 sachets from Organo Gold. Check it out here: http://rkarboviak.myorganogold.com

Enjoy the new focus.

Swing & Sip!
Coach Rick

PS: all the past RABC blog posts are still in the archive here. Not all is lost. :)