Yesterdays kettlebell training at lunchtime with 60kg and 48kg
First 2 shots are of 60kg BUP atempt and 60kg flips all rest of work was done with 48kg beast.
I had fully intended to do lots of 48kg BUP but got carried away with 60kg and ended up totally destroying my grip leaving it pretty much useless for 48kg BUP's
Still, was a good training session. Leaves me wondering about my kettlebell goals. Got 3 weeks left to hit them so will be closing in on them soon and putting some more fuel on the fire.
Pretty insane amount of kettlebell jerks - 100 with the 40kg kettlebell in 5 mins 45 secs by Gregor Sobočan.
It is claimed that the huge set of reps is an unofficial World Record as no one else has done it yet (I feel some WR's coming on tonight for myself), a great feat of strength endurance nonetheless.
This youtube training aid has been developed by Jonnywildboar of BoarRKC and is very similar in method to that of Kenneth Jay RKC, VO2 max protocol and starts with 30 seconds on 30 seconds off in an inverse pyramid manner. Will surely bring on some serious sweating and fitness increases. For best results use the kettlebell snatch.
same weight / same reps / same exersise for every set
after set 5 there is no rest so if you need to change hands (for the KB snatch) listen for the switch in music !!
Went for some single arm deadlifting and suitcase deadlifts on friday night. Had a whole load of fun testing myself on this novel movement.
Then today, got my reverse hyper machine cleaned off and loaded up for a great sunday session.
Warm up 3x10 100kg reverse hyper (not too heavy seen as it's had crap dumped on it for months) 3x10 40kg kettlebell swing 3x15 Press ups 2x10 High pulls wih 70kg barbell
Then set off and worked upto a 150kg Continental clean + front squat + suitcase deadlift. It felt really good to get back into some proper barbell work.
I find the continental clean a great exercise for getting some heavyish weights up to the chest and feel it highlights the fact that you need to pull relax and contract to get the weight up, which is a key factor in all explosive sports. The rate at which you can apply force and relax under control is key.
Finished off with deadlift working upto mid 200's and finished off with all out reps on 200kg. I don't think my Smolov Cycle will materialise but I will certainly using elements from it over the next 4 weeks or so.
Adlington is looming so would be nice to hit some decent weights.
I need to start adding in some presses and jerks, which shouldn't be too hard on the back of kettlebell training.
This simply cannot be reiterated too much - stick to the basics with kettlebell training and kettlebell exercises before trying to move onto more sophisticated exercises.
The basic kettlebell exercises are the kettlebell swing, kettlebell snatch, kettlebell press/jerk and kettlebell turkish get up. Get a great base from these kettlebell exercises to build on. Althoug they are simple exercises do not expect simple results. Kettlebell training doesn't need to be too technical, train clever and reap the benefits.
I've often thought that kettlebells were not really a tool for bodybuilding/adding muscle mass. my thoughts on this have changed!
However, of late I feel like I've packed on a nice slab of muscle to my frame by using kettlebells.
Recently I've been doing bottoms up kettlebell press ladders as a shoulder/upper body warm up before hitting a snatch routine and BUP practice.
I've been working from 5-10 with the 24kg kettlebell with both hands on the BUP ladder. My left side requires considerably more concentration and is more challenging on the grip to get the full set.
Despite the low kettlebell weight (in comparison to a dumbbell) I've experienced more muscle fullness and over all upper body growth and my body feels 'more together' from only a week of this.
At best my training is all over the place moving from one direction to another, generally with kettlebells as the major theme running through it.
So with this said I'm still aiming towards my goals just not in a very structured way. But there is one thing that can be said and that is that I'm bringing about postitive adaptions with this method and my body is adapting to everything I throw at it.
Which is the purpose of training after all (A training adaption takes place only if the magnitude of the training load is above the habitual level - Zatiorsky)
So my message is - kettlebell ladders are a fantastic tool for bodybuilding. Use your imagination with the exercises and work as hard as you can for some great results.
I love this video of Peter Toncs doing a Two Hands Anyhow with a 60kg kettlebell and a 32kg kettlebell. The guy is not even that big, so he shows awesome conditioning when he does the lift very well.
There's something about the Old School/Oldtime Strongman type training that I really love and that's probably because the majority of people train in a 'Chrome and fern' environment (as Brooks Kubrick would put it) and this is not where it is usually battled out.
Although this video is not set in a basement or out in the dirt it still shows the nature of Old Timer training.
SO bring on the heavy stuff, thick handles, blood, sweat and sawdust and let's get on with it
After setting myself some kettlebell goals earlier on today, I managed to achieve one of them in my lunch time training session.
I cracked my goal of 10 continous snatch reps with the 60kg kettlebell. I realised how much I have advanced with the 60kg metalbell after this training. My core has been blasted recently with kettlebells and I've come through the other side a lot stronger in both my grip and my core as I now take the thick handle of the 60 with no problem so will push on through my goals.
As I got my target today I've decided to up the quota to 20 continous snatches (10L+10R) with the 60kg
As usual the core of my training has involved the kettlebell snatch and will continue for some time.
I feel generally that heavy kettlebell swings, snatches and cleans will hit the core like no other exercise. When I say heavy I mean as heavy as you can handle.
Having achieved my goal of Cleaning the 85kg kettlebell on Sunday, I feel that I should be moving towards some other goals as soon as I can to keep the ball rolling towards something even better later on in the year.
Having met Laine Snook and being blown away with his strength and power I may even get into some more thick handled dumbbell lifting. Although I've never tried the Inch dumbbell before Laine has done a triple snatch with the Inch dumbbell (most people try just to get it off the floor). So there's one goal - have a go at lifting the Inch dumbbell some time. Just to try is something small but nevertheless something I aim to do.
Kettlebell Goals For the next 6 weeks 60kg Snatch for 10 continous fast reps
60kg flip for 16 reps (8+8)
60kg bottoms up jerk/press is maybe possible (never tried a BU jerk but I'm sure it's possible)
Swing the kettlebell beast 48kg for 60 reps (30+30)
60kg Kettlebell swings for 40 reps (20+20)
250 reps in SSST (wooowooo endurance) this one's a long shot
Other kettlebell related goals:
Buy an 85kg kettlebell to add to my family (lift like Valentin Dikul) Start some kettlebell lunges (don't know why but I like them)
So, I've probably got my work cut out with all that but they're all related to each other. Add to the top of that a deadlift and two hands anyhow comp and it should be an interesting 6 weeks or so.
With a deadlift and two hands anyhow competition looming at Adlington Weight Lifting club on 22nd March 2009. It is time to add some fire to my barbell routine which until now has been something like.... pick a barbell off the floor laden with weight whenever I'm passing through. The results so far have been fairly none existent.
However, I've been pondering, looking at, wondering what it would be like to start (and possibly never finish) a Smolov style cycle for deadlift instead of the squat which it's structure was originally intended.
I must admit I've never really done any serious squatting or deadlift for a long time (since my serious days of throwing), but did dabble in plenty of deadlift style training last summer when I went for the Dinnie Stones, so at least there is some base there.
So my plan is to modify this some how and do a slightly watered own version to suit my needs but fully intend on keeping the basic structure the same.
Here's an excerpt from Dragondoor.com
The super cycle was designed by Master of Sports S. Y. Smolov and stacks like this:
1. Layoff or maintenance training 2. Introductory microcycle -2 weeks 3. Base mesocycle -4 weeks 4. Switching -2 weeks 5. Intense mesocycle -4 weeks 6. Taper -1 week 7. Competition
The introductory microcycle shall bring you up to 90% of your personal best squat in just a week and shall prepare you for the horrors to come. Every day is a Halloween during the next four weeks. It is worth it; the base mesocycle delivers a 10-30kg gain for big boys and 5-7,5kg for lighter lifters.
The 'switching' two-week stretch is dedicated to plyometric and compensatory acceleration training. The idea is to stimulate your nervous system with a different type of stimuli and thus make it more responsive to another round of slow and heavy training. You shall also appreciate the chance to lick your wounds after the base mesocycle.
The intense mesocycle is another cruel and unusual stretch of four weeks. It is good for another 15-20kg squat gain.
Finally you shall taper with what you could have interpreted as an overtraining program before you embarked on the Russian cycle but now will gratefully accept as a vacation.
Week thirteen: enter the platform and dominate (should read for me as being a better deadlifter than 6 weeks previous)
I plan to mix in kettlebells almost daily (to some extent) and also some clean and jerk to prepare.
Hoepfully all said this will set me up for the competition and be as superb base for a really good year in all areas.
Bottoms up kettlebell clean. Started working on the heavy BU clean to move into a 60kg BUP in the following months. The 60kg kb is a monster so will take some serious work and determination.
It's a great one for grip strength, balance and power
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