Training Tidbits

Wow, time flies when you ignore your blog. My apologies for another lengthy delay in scribing! I've just been pondering different options I have for training as I hurry up and wait for fire dept recruitment and application processes to move along. As such, it has been difficult to plan my sports and training - so many choices! Yes, we're entering volleyball pre-season, and I wanted to be able to hold my own before embarrassing myself on court #4 at Kits Beach! I was also looking at returning to the mats and getting back into judo... not to mention kayaking, climbing, and hiking. Too much pondering, not enough action. Ever happened to you? Sometime you just gotta say f**k it, and do something. So here's what I did over the last 3 days:

Wed April 8: Kits Beach Blast

With minimal equipment, I mosied on down to Kits Beach for a quick session on a cool, overcast day. I grabbed a my 10lb sledgehammer & fire gloves, a 16kg kettlebell, and my TRX Force Trainer. I set up a simple 3-station circuit, and came up with a flexible program.

• 10 L / 10 R: Sledgehammer swings (Overhead OR horizontal forcible entry style OR
• 10 L / 10 R: Kettlebell Snatches OR Thrusters OR Diagonal Cleans
• 10 L / 10 R: TRX 1-arm pushups; 1-arm side rows; contra-lateral & ipsilateral pistols

I ended up doing mostly overhead sledgehammer swings since there was a homeless person sleeping beside my "usual" log for horizontal sledgehammer swings and Kaiser smashes. Then I cycled through various exercises for about 5 rounds. Here's the setup:

Thursday April 9: Quick & Dirty Double KB sequence

I decided to go to the gym because I wanted to warm up with an hour of hula practice before digging in to a Q&D (quick & dirty) KB workout. So after I danced, I brought out 2 x 12kg KBs and took over the floor outside the studio:

• 10 closed-stance double front squats
• Bear crawl 15 - 20 paces
• 10 Renegade Rows
• Bear Crawl 15 - 20 paces
• - opposite direction -
• Double Burpee Cleans
• Walking alternating presses
• 10 Alternating cleans
• Walking alternating presses

I only had time to do that sequence twice, but it was still a fun time!

Friday April 10: Cambie Bridge Stairs (10 sets)

• This one is too simple: Run from my condo in Yaletown, around the False Creek Seawall to the south side of the Cambie Street Bridge stairs, and do 10 sets non-stop. Continue over the Cambie Bridge to the north side, then run home. Even better when done with a friend for motivation... thanks Boo:-)!

I'm off to Vancouver Island this weekend, for some R&R with family and friends. Standard in my truck fitness toolbox:

• One each of 8-12-16 kg kettlebells
• 10lb sledgehammer & fire gloves
• TRX Force Training Kit
• Lebert Buddy System
• Various resistance Ripcords tubing
• Beach Volleyball
• 2 x footballs (mini & reg size)
• Basketball
• Baseball & Glove
• Skipping Rope

I'm sure there's other stuff I've forgotten about that are at the bottom of the box, and I have no idea what kind of workouts I'll be getting in, but I have no excuses! Have a Happy Easter!