Fun with a Heart Rate monitor...

[ The picture above is from a Russian KB website, and it shows how to do the Snatch "Old-School", in which you lower the KB down to your shoulder after you finish locking it out. This is now called the Half Snatch.]

Decided to do some KB training with a Heart Rate monitor on, basically doing some "sprint" sets. Went with Long Cycle Clean and Jerks with a pair of 35#/16kg KBs, and Snatches with a single 35#/16lg KB. Decided to go 5 minutes on each and see how high my HR would go, and what my average HR would be for the 5 minutes.

Did a quick 45 second warm-up with the HR monitor on, then go right into the LC set, and ended up doing around 58 reps. Averaged 167 Beats per Minute, which is around 95% of my predicted HR Max at 42 years old. Without the 45 second warm-up, it may have been around 170+ BPM.

Took a five minute break and then did a set of snatches with a 35# KB, going as fast as I could with good from. I went 30 R in minutes 1 and 3, 30 L in minutes 2 and 4, and finished the last minute with 15R and 15L. Average HR was 173 BPM, and by the end of minute 5, my HR was 183, which is 103% Max HR. Within 2 minutes my HR was down to 122 BPM, which is an indicator of good heart conditioning ( a drop of over 60 BPM at the 2 minutemark following exercise.).

Finished off my workout with some "Tempo Presses" done Tabata-style (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times). The first 4 sets I did with the 53#/24kg KB - 15 R, rest, 15 L, 14R, rest, 14 L, rest. Then did sets of 15 with the 35#/16kg KB on the last 4 sets, doing 15 reps on each set.