“Acid Sam” Run No. 2

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

What I now call an “Acid Sam” 1 is 100 Kettle bell Snatches followed immediately by a standard “Acid Bath” fitness test.

The details and timings are:

100 Kettle Bell snatches

Details: I use a session kettlebell of 24kg which is a basic standard for someone of my size 2

Time: between 5 – 10 mins, with 5 mins as the proper goal. 3

Acid bath

Details: The “Acid bath” is a standard fitness set which consists of the following:

For standards these all have to be done on the concept2 range of equipment.

Time: Men are supposed to do this under 6 minutes and Ladies under 7.

Progress and attempt times

The first try I did on this was 14:59, only a minute away from the longest allowed time of 16:00.

so I sat down and did the splits properly this time, working for:

  1. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:30)
  2. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:30)
  3. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:30)
  4. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:30)
  5. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:30)
  6. 500m Ski Erg (2:00)
  7. 500m Row (2:00)
  8. 1km Bike Erg (2:00)

With a target of 13:30, I missed and hit 13:46 (including turning recording on and off), but still 1:13 better than last week, so solid progress even if I just missed the Acid bath split at 6:04, as you can see from the video below, the snatchers were over timed but I missed on the 1km bike. so next one will be

  1. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:25)
  2. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:25)
  3. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:25)
  4. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:25)
  5. 20 kettlebell snatches (1:25)
  6. 500m Ski Erg (1:50)
  7. 500m Row (1:50)
  8. 1km Bike Erg (2:10)

Which will give me a time of 12:55 to go for, if I can hit that, it will be a case of chipping away at the times particularly the gaps between the kettle bell snatches, my main issue will be mentally overcoming the “death grip” I have on the kettle bell as this shreds my hands. 4

  1. Named after my fab PT Sam Bradley. [↩]
  2. So the weight you would take into a class.[↩]
  3. Basically, Firas Iskandarani can do this in 5 mins and we are chasing him.[↩]
  4. I have been shown the practical ways many many times.[↩]

Acid Bath and Acid Sam

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment
The “Acid bath” is a standard fitness set which consists of the following: For standards these all have to be done on the concept2 range of equipment, and they are done at the end of a session. My current pre session consists of 5 rounds ( not done for time) of: 3 chin ups 5 dips 15 Kettlebell Swings (@ 24kg for me) 250m Ski erg (steady pace) Adult males are supposed to do it in 6 mins or less, ladies in 7 mins. I can just do it under 6 minutes (5:52) and it’s significantly harder on the concept 2 stuff, than it is on the run of the mill gym equipment, as the week before this video, I managed a 5:25 with no worries and even a sip of water. I will post regular attempts at trying to get this time down, just as a personal record. Also I’m a little bit obsessed with something I’m going to call “Acid Sam”. So Sam Bradley my awesome PT. Does kettlebells as his major thing with me, and it’s taught me to love them far more than normal weights. One of his challenges is to do 100 kettlebell swings (using a session weight of 24kg) in five minutes, currently I can comfortably do it in 10 mins and at a push can do it in 9. However, this begs the terrible question if you can do the 100 kettlebell snatches in five minutes, and a reasonably good time to do the Acid bath is also 5 minutes, then theoretically you could do them both back to back in 10 minutes. Extremely stupid, but awesome to have a good goal.

Fitness Week EOW 2022-05-01

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

Work done this week

  • 2 x PT sessions (under Sam Bradly)
  • 2 x Spin Sessions (Under Louise)
  • 1 x  Self Driven Session (provided By Sam)

Notes :

On the basis of last weeks goals I did a couple of excellent clean sessions with Sam, then back to the evil set he has come up with

5K on Skierg (10 resistance) at a split of about 2.20

Every 500 Meters, break off and do 20 Kettle Bell snatches (10 each side) with a 24kg Kettlebell (no pause or ‘Faff’) then back to the Skierg

40 mins cut off Time

Tried it again, this weekend is still what I consider a failure, but better this time

No I did not hit the time level and yes I did miss two of the middle snatch sections as I was dying and it was that or stop, BUT it was done cleaner and better, and now I know how to stop the Skierg from timing out while I do the snatches I can use it as a proper stop watch, I WILL get there, one week at a time.

Next came spin, Wednesday was normal progression trying to get back to ftp of 315, but on Friday I asked for a happy playlist and DEAR LORD I have never regretted anything so much

It was one of my favourite old playlist but given a new spin and horror by the fact we are no longer on an ftp of 250 and not in a class where I can die and no one will notice, this was murder, 15 mins in and the first bike dies, the computer gave up the ghost at level 100

We swap bikes and the next thing to die is ME , it was just more than I could do, not not in an unfair way, just in a JUST beyond my current reach, Louise promised we can do the same playlist next week, but just look at that expression, its not often I’m beaten that badly and the satisfaction is real.

Next Weeks Goals

  1. Same as last weeks manage the new set at the same level Just done cleanly and sharply and without missing any parts
  2. Altered from the 2.7 watts per kilo, now I just want to make it through the sodding spin play list without dying at the ftp of 310

Long Term Goals

  1. Continue weight loss in Prep for September

Measurements

now using the posh machine at the gym, and i have lost a bit of weight (though hard to measure till it consistently use it rather than home scales

Pictures

As the kettlebells in the gym are so rubbish, I’ve taken to smuggling my own in, frankly no one cared. so I’m now happy

 

Fitness Week EOW 2022-04-24

Posted on by Mark Myers Leave a comment

Work done this week

  • 3 x PT sessions (under Sam Bradly)
  • 2 x Spin Sessions (Under Louise)
  • 1 x  Self Driven Session (provided By Sam)

Notes :

Pulling back from the Corvid Effects, Spin has moved up from 2.,5 Watts per Kilo to 2.6, but still a chuck of work to go to get back to the 2.8 it used to be.

Sam has come up with the most killer Session, one to replace the old Double bill of Spin + WOD I used to do Saturday morning at Gymbox (which in turn was done when i should have been going fencing)

Anyway the Set is:

5K on Skierg (10 resistance) at a split of about 2.20

Every 500 Meters, break off and do 20 Kettle Bell snatches (10 each side) with a 24kg Kettlebell (no pause or ‘Faff’) then back to the Skierg

40 mins cut off Time

Now I made it but the form was ROTTERN, slow and at the end I just sat of the floor and nearly cried, but for me the key part is its an excellent framework set to build on, one I personally find very very challenging, so next week will be a repeat with the goal to do it without making my self sore (which only happens during bad form)

Next Weeks Goals

  1. Manage the new set at the same level Just done cleanly and sharply
  2. Spin at 2.7 Watts per Kilo

Long Term Goals

  1. Continue weight loss in Prep for September

Measurements

Not taken this Week

Pictures

Old but not dead yet

2.6 is OK but not what I can do, struggling a tiny bit with the resistance lever on the bake, its not as controlled as a screw,

I HATE these kettle bells they have a flat ridge under the handle where they were bent and its driving me crazy, will see if I can bring in an old fashioned cast Iron one