Jim vs. the Kettlebell Challenge Workout

This is Judd’s fault. He emailed me this, and to be fair, I thought it sounded awesome. So I guess it’s really my fault.

Kettlebell Challenge Workout
2 Clean and Presses on each side
4 Snatches on each side
12 Goblet Squats
16 Hand to Hand Swings

I used the 35lb bell, which means that I can’t really use the site’s grading metric (which is calibrated for the 53lb bell). But I finished in 9:36, and I’m damned pleased with that time. I was also completely wrecked at the end of it.

I need to practice the snatch with the 53lb bell. I know I can do it once, but I need to see how many reps I can do at a time. When I get more comfortable with that weight, I can come back and do this one as Rx’d.

Jim vs. Kettlebell Isabel

Circumstances prevented me from working out the last few days, and the workout I’d been considering just felt… kind of boring. So I went with this one, which was the other option when I did Kettlebell Grace.

Kettlebell Isabel
30 reps per hand, kettlebell snatch (35lbs)

Finished in 3:21. It was a nasty, brutish, and short kind of morning.

Jim vs. The Kettlebell Combat Complex

Brought this one back from last fall’s kettlebell/bodyweight hybrid workouts.

Kettlebell combat complex x 3
KB snatch x 5, KB clean and press x 5
Repeat w/ other hand
Goblet squat x 10
Goblet reverse lunge x 5/5
KB clean pull x 5, KB row x 5
Repeat w/ other hand
KB swings x 10

Oof. Rested three minutes between sets. My lower back may sue me; hope I stretched it out enough, after.

Jim vs. Lateral Hops, Kettlebell Snatch

Got my week started right, I suppose.

Seven rounds for time of:
35 lateral hops
1 kettlebell snatch (53lbs)

I used my 25lb sandbag as the hurdle on the hops. Definitely was not able to keep my feet in perfect sync. Finished in 8:08.

Jim vs. KB Snatch & Burpees

This is another home mod. When I talked with Judd about it, he suggested replacing the barbell snatch reps with KB snatch reps for each arm. But as it’s my first metcon in nearly a month, I thought a 1-for-1 sub would probably be fine.

12-9-6-3
Kettlebell snatch
Burpees

Finished in 4:37, sucking serious wind after. If this one comes up again, I’ll give Judd’s version a go. This version was fine for today; I needed something Nasty, Brutish, and Short.

Jim vs. Kettlebell Snatch & Overhead Squat

Getting back into the swing of things has not been easy. This was a home mod of a complex I’ve done a few times with barbells.

Kettlebell snatch + (kettlebell overhead squat x 3)
35 (R)
35 (L)
53 (R)
53 (L)
35 (R)
35 (L)

Went well, and I was pleased that I was able to do the snatch and all three OHSs with my left hand and the 53lb bell.

Jim vs. a Light Workout with Kettlebell Snatches

It’s been a rough couple of weeks. First Samson, who’d been sick, got sicker; this was miserable for him, stressful for us, and wrecked our sleep schedule something fierce. Luckily, we figured out what was wrong with him, and he’s getting better, but the aforementioned stress and lack of sleep got me sick, too.

So this is my first workout in a while, and it’s a light one: pull-ups, push-ups, squats, sit-ups, KB swings, and wrapping each round with 5 KB snatches per arm. Then some stretching. This week will be light, so see if I’m recovered; if I am, it’s back to it next week.

Jim vs. Jump Rope, Push-ups, Kettlebell Snatch

I should’ve just run.

For time:
Jump rope x 400
Push-ups x 75
Kettlebell snatch (35lbs) x 10

I haven’t been running because it’s been cold and icy, and until today the jump rope sub worked fine. Today, though, once I hit 200 reps my coordination went to shit; I was lucky to get 10 reps in a row, and we’re talking single-unders here. It took me six and a half minutes to get through the jump rope, which is way more time than any 800m run I’ve done in years.

I ended up finishing in 9:37. This probably should’ve taken me seven, seven and a half minutes. Frustrating, especially as it’s less cold outside than it has been.

Should’ve just run.

Jim vs. Toes-to-bar, Kettlebell Snatches, Sandbag Thrusters

Sundays are usually rest days for me, but tomorrow’s gonna be a bit too packed to fit a workout in. So, this is my third workout day in a row. Felt like it, too.

Four rounds for time of:
Toes-to-bar x 10
KB snatch (35lb) x 10
Sandbag thrusters (25lb) x 10

Finished in 8:27.

Jim vs. Kettlebell Snatch, 200ft. Sprints

I need to shake things up a bit, so I’m going back to my roots. I’m gonna start following the CrossFit BrandX scaled programming again, like I did several years ago when I first started doing these kinds of workouts. I’ll go a week behind, because I need this to fit into both my work schedule and the limitations of Teagle and my equipment at home, but my goal is to do this five days a week.

Today was Day 1. I did a workout I’d planned to do later in the week, but it involved being outdoors and it was in the 40s today, with nastier winter weather coming as soon as tomorrow.

Four rounds for time of:
35lb kettlebell snatch, 10 reps
200 foot sprint

Doing KB swings two days in a row was iffy from my point of view, but it went OK. I finished this in 3:21. More on the way come Monday.