Hi everyone,
Just a very quick post today before I rush out to work. I did this 360 Rep Challenge/workout yesterday, and it’s a killer. I was set this Time Challenge from Carla on facebook. It had been suggested to her by her friend, so we thought we’d spread the word. The challenge originates from here if you want to check that out.
The Challenge
Basically you have 2 choices. The 180 rep challenge (1 round) or 360 reps (2 rounds). I timed both. The first round I did with the 16kg and the second I did with 12kg (didn’t want to risk injury from poor form caused by fatiqued muscles). I used my Gymboss Interval Timer as a stopwatch to time myself. There are 9 exercises with set reps as below:
- Single arm KB Swing x 10 each arm
- KB Cleans x 10 each side
- KB Front Squats x 10 each side
- KB Presses x 10 each side
- KB Thrusters x 10 each side
- KB High Pulls x 10 each side
- KB Rows x 10 each side
- KB Snatches x 10 each side
- KB Crunches x 20 reps total
This workout was a killer, I was in a puddle at the end of the first round! With the 16kg it took me 10 minutes and 18 seconds. Then the second round (after about 1 minutes rest if I’m honest), with 12kg took 7 minutes and 59 seconds. Therefore the whole 360 took me 19 min 17 seconds, but if I add in the 1 minutes rest, it took 20 minutes and 17 seconds. GREAT WORKOUT / CHALLENGE. Just the fact I knew I was competing with everyone, really got me to push myself – a great way to increase the intensity. I do wish I had done better with the 16kg, but it’s a work in progress. I actually feel I’ve lost some strength with it. Either that or I’ve just lost confidence after the EKI Challenge 🙁 sob sob (pity party).
I have to love ya and leave you now to get ready for lovely work, but I hope you will post your times and weights etc and let us all get a little friendly competition going. I expect all the Kettlebellas over at VideoFitness to have their times at the ready 😀
So until next time, good luck with what ever challenges you need to overcome in the days to come – think strength 🙂
Cheers
Marianne
Hi!
Tonight was the first time that I have picked up my 45pound and 20 pound kettle bell in a while and it hurt. This first time around with the 20 pound it took me 5:01. The second time around with the 45 pound it took me 6:52. It was painful the second time around. I did the whole 360 for this workout. Thanks for the motivation. I just have to find a good eating plan and stay away from the junk food. Do you have any tips or suggestion?
thanks!
Clinton
Hi Clinton, well done with the workout! As for the diet, I honestly recommend keeping things simple and not trying to go to any extremes. Start gradually replacing the junk with better options and try not to look too far ahead … just do your best each day and if you make a mistake, don’t waste time beating yourself up – just try again the next day. If fat loss is your goal then keep up the resistance training with conditioning workouts and try to burn more calories than you eat. It all comes back to that – and only you have the power 🙂 We’ll be here to support you though!
Hey Marianne:
I had planned to do the new 500 rep workout today, but my legs/glutes are dead from the past few days 🙁 wasn’t ready for a full on rest day, so I decided to do this one since its relatively short (albeit intense!). I did this one sometime in March of this year & I *think* I did each round in 10-12mins (16kg then 12kg)… unfortunately I didn’t record my times then so I cant accurately compare. Boo.
Anyway, my first round I used the 16kg and finished in 10minutes & 3seconds. Second round used the 12kg and finished in 9mins & 33secs. Have to be honest tho, I took a rather long 4 or 5min rest in between because I was debating on doing a 2nd round at all (could hear my 2yr old beginning to wake from her nap in the next room!). Glad I decided to go ahead with another round tho!
And the fact that I didn’t have my last attempt’s times recorded has inspired me to start keeping a detailed workout journal. Something I’ve never done before, but think I will really from.
Great workout 🙂 definitely an “oldie but goodie”
XOXO
Lindsey.
I did the 360 circuit this morning and it was hard, even though I still only have 8 kg kettlebells!
Each round was 8 mins or so
Another great workout Marianne.
Thanks Peter. Had you tried this one before?
I like to start with an excercise that isn’t a ballistic type move like a swing since I feel that i’m still warming up. I have trained bodybuilding style with weights for so long now that I am used to my first few sets as ny warm up sets. I always warm up with a few minutes on my elliptical and dynamic joint mobility but I like my first set of exercise with the kettlebell to be more of a warm up so I do deadlifts. I feel like I warm up my legs and back just a little bit more that way
oops I meant to say next time I will make sure my timer is started right not better. lol
LOL 😉
Hi Marianne
I did this workout today but I am insane and added a wee but more and made it into 500 reps ha ha
I was SO MAD that after my first round I realized I hadn’t pressed start on my gymboss just reset. So I have no idea what my first round time was. For my second round I was a bit fatigued but I pushed through as hard as a could maintaining form and got 9:20. I felt it was slower than my first round
I added suit case deadlifts as my first exercise (10L/10R) because I don’t like to start a workout with swings. I changed the order a little bit because the presses right before the thrusters really fatigued my shoulder. So I did the high pulls then the thrusters. Also I added a finisher of 100 two handed swings. I used my 12kg for the whole workout. I was SMOKED!!
Thanks again and next time I try this one I will make sure my timer is better
Nice work Shanna 😀 Love suitcase Deadlifts. Out of interest, why don’t you like to start a workout with swings?
M
Ok finally did this 1. I used my 20 lb kb for both rounds. The end result was 18:35.5 but with my rest it i’d be at 19:35.5 :o) I loved this and my shoulders were screaming at me afterwards lol. Thanks for putting the challenge out there I needed a kick in the butt. :o)
Kera
Nice time Kera, glad you enjoyed the challenge – it totally kicked my butt 😀
I am 57 and i did the 360 workout with 35lbs kb in 20 min. i really like your workouts keep pushing us thanks paul
Well done Paul – Great time with 35lbs! I was dead after the 180 LOL Keep up the good work. Nice to hear from you.
Cheers
Marianne
Thanks Marianne. I have exactly the same approach: I just do what’s good for me, combining different training methods and tools (though kettlebells are absolutely my favourites).
But I am very curious of new things, just to give them a try.
Ciao (that’s “cheers” in Italian).
Bianca
Like minded Bianca, thanks 😀
Thanks. Oh, by the way… I have subscribed to this blog (of course leaving my e-mail address and everything) but I don’t get updates in my mail…Bizarre. Anyway, it’s not so important: I’ll just check myself if you have added updates.
One last thing: I would also be interested – when and if you have time in the future to handle this request too – to know your opinion on EDT.
Have a very nice day!
Bianca
Bianca, it’s strange that you’re not getting the updates via email, although sometime the email alerts run a day behind the actual time I post. So maybe you checked the site before the email. It might still arrive.
Sorry, but what is EDT? I don’t know this abbreviation 🙂
Cheers
Marianne
I am getting confused with all these abbreviations too (for example I don’t know what EKI is).
Anyway, EDT is short for “ESCALATING DENSITY TRAINING”. It’s a training method/concept that was “invented” about 2-3 years ago by American coach Charles Staley.
It’s supposed to be a system that helps you build muscular mass more rapidly and effectfully than other training methods (and of course burn calories too).
I started getting curious about it because an Italian coach that I admire very much (though I have not met him personally), whose Youtube channel is StudioMiletto (he also uses kettlebells and has a very nice technique with them), often talks about this method and seems to like it a lot.
Have a nice day.
Bianca
Thanks Bianca, will check it out. As for EKI – it stands for Extreme Kettlebell Instructor. I don’t have anything to do with any devisions within the Kettlebell world, I just like using them for fitness workouts.
People seem to divide themselves all the time with everything in life, to be a part of one group or another. I don’t believe that is necessary. I just do what works for me. I try other stuff depending on the research, but doesn’t mean I want to be part of a click.
Cheers
Marianne
Hi Marianne, I have watched a lot of your workouts and they are so good and interesting. A really great inspiration.
I was wondering if you could upload a video (or write an article) about the effects of interval training: what are the benefits, what goals you can reach with it, etc. I keep hearing about it, I keep watching videos on it, but I’d like to know the “theory” behind it.
One more thing: I’d be curious to know very well what “tabata” is.
And a last question: how often do you work out? Judging from what I’ve seen in your blog I would say approx. 3 times a week, but maybe I am completely wrong.
Thanks so much for everything.
Bianca
Hi Bianca, I’d be happy to address this for you, as it is something I am imterested in too. Think it will be a good article to do. Keep an eye out for it soon 🙂
As for how often I work out, it depends. Some weeks I train twice a day for 5 days, depending on work and Andrew’s classes, my workouts and the gym. If I am working loads I only manage 5 times per week. I try and upload 3 workouts per week though 🙂
Glad you are enjoying my blog. I will start work on that article 😀
M
Marianne:
Thanks for the solid info and advice. I know someone doing these workouts 5 days a week and no rest…just plows through ( another site thats not very authoritative.) Can you explain why rest is needed between sets? I started these types of workouts 3 weeks ago. My first week I actually felt run down, a tad sick and took 4 days off. Can you explain why you wouldnt want to solely rely on these workouts? Thanks again!! PS. Can you share with us if you are managing your own blog? Im looking for a theme I can do myself also one that can handle all the video!
Many thanks
Q
Hi Q (is this from Star Trek?). Welcome to my blog 🙂
I ‘m not sure if you are asking about rest within a workout, or rest between workout days, so I’ll answer both. Rest or more accurately recovery periods are vital to allow the different energy pathways within the muscles to “recharge”. Simply put, it prevents a build up of lactic acid which will hinder your performance and you will reach muscle failure (the point were you can physically do no more). Recovery periods should enable you to return to you max effort for the next set. Everyone’s recovery is slightly different, but most are within the range of 20-60 seconds (depending on the exercises and duration of max effort). Now, rest days are equally, if not more important to the exercise days. These days allow your body to rebuild and repair msucles tissue and inflammation caused by intense exercise. That’s not to say you have to sit on your butt, gentle exercise is fine, but normally I just do normal daily activities like house work and stuff like that. Most people take 2 rest days per week (best split up too).
As for why I wouldn’t soley rely on these workouts, is a personal decision. These workouts, in combination with a strict diet, will allow you to get great results. I do other things because I like my food too much to give up any more calories, so I vary my training. The added benefit of this is you keep your body guessing and it give you a change of scenery. I know many people who do home workouts and are in great shape. However I would advocate resistance training as a vital part of the equation. Cardio and body weight alone is not always enough to get the results most people desire.
I do manage my own blog, but I got my theme from elegant themes and my platform is wordpress. But I have a self-hosted blog, so I am in control of my content and my blog’s “life”. Most hosting companies and blog themes etc have the capacity to embed video. If you stream from Youtube, you don’t get charged for taking up bandwidth, YouTube picks up the tab for that.
Hope this helps.
M
God I just did this!
Used my 16kg for both rounds and did it in 23mins and 5 seconds. I think my first round was in a similar time to yours, but then I really started to slow down during the secound round, needed longer rests between sets.
I think I have used up another one of my 9 lives on this one 🙂
Steve.
Oh and if I were to have videoed myself doing this, I would have come across as a very religious potty-mouth 🙂
LOL
Good one!!! 😀 It’s hard aint it!
Marianne
I meant to say … that as I watched the video I think I said most of the same things… front squats #%%^, and very similar comments on the thrusters too. Whoever put this together is EVIL!!!! Great job on the time too.
Heather
LOL Heather, yes the words I had to edit out 😀 😉
Cheers
M
Marianne.
Im loving the looks of thiso one. I can’t wait try this later.
Your hard work is paying off, you look great.
Thanks Izz 🙂 I was busted after this lol, simply because it’s non-stop! You’ll enjoy it
Strength Rocks!!!!!
Hi Marianne,
Great workout , loved it. I used my weights and improvised.
All in all I thought it was fantastic. My time with a 25 lb. Dumbell was 10:23. Might be harder with a kettlebell , but this has to do for now. I was breathing heavy and was spent when I finished. I would’ve done the second round but it’s late, 8:30 pm. I had already done cardio in the morning. I just wanted to try it as I won’t be able to put in a workout tomorrow. Loved it! The ‘IF’ is going great . I can tell it’s working for you as well. You look leaner by the day. Thanks again.
Minnie V.
In Ny 🙂
Wow great time Minnie! Well done 😀 Glad the IF going well for you. I am also glad to hear you think it’s working for me. I must be having a “fat” week because I don’t feel lean at all, I feel bloated 🙁 boo
Anyway, thanks for letting me know your time 🙂
M
Sweet…I’ll do this 2moro since today is my ARD, I need I got a stomach bug which is whooping my butt 🙁 but oh well I’ll live I think. LOL Thanks for throwing down the gauntlet and I will def give it a go as soon as my stomach stops this nonsense.