Kettlebell Training Around Injuries and Other Hot Takes (As well as cold)

 This year I've had 2 cortisone shots in my right foot and two in my left shoulder.  The shoulder needs the cap replaced as I don't have cartilage left in it and the foot is Morton's Neuroma that is sheer irritation.  My wife and I hiked Mt Wachusett with our dog and the whole descent, my ring toe was burning.  I can run a little, 2 miles on a treadmill, but don't want to irritate it.  At the end of July, we went on a cruise to Bermuda, and I did run every day at the gym.  Because I can only get shots 3 x a year, so I try to space them out 5-6 months until I need them.  I need to be realistic and limited to what I can and cannot do.

For the past 2 months, I've been doing kettlebell complex programs.  Geoff Neupert's The Wolf as a chain and currently, The Long Haul.  As stated in previous posts I can finish the reps with the rest periods based on the total time.  However, instead of doing one exercise after another as you would in a complex, I put the bells down and do the next exercise with as little rest as possible.  Why?  First, as you age, your ability to increase your maximum heart rate is lessened and second, I don't want to get injured because I'm fatigued.  Sure, I lose the production of lactic acid buildup and the production of HGH, but I get the benefits of doing the reps, fresh and get a heck of a workout in the same amount of time.

Looks like this:

Medium Day of The Long Haul, Week 4: Double 45 lb. bells

Double Snatch x 30 seconds

Press x 30 seconds

Front Squat x 30 seconds

Double Swing x 30 seconds

3 rounds  Work:Rest ratio, 1:1.5

2 minutes of work, 3 minutes rest between rounds, Total workout is 12 minutes, or 720 seconds

Total exercises completed is 12.  (4 exercises a round x 3 rounds) 720/12 = 60.  Start the next exercise at the top of the minute.

Snatch:30 rest to top of minute, Press: 30 rest, repeat until all 12 exercises are completed.  Finish in 11:30 vs. 12 minutes

I am all in these days on 15–30-minute workouts, hit it and quit it.  Light, quick and don't get hurt.  I have double 55's and 70's that are collecting dust in my basement.  At this point the goal is maintenance with cardiovascular health.  No one builds muscle in their 50's unless they are on steroids.  

I hate the concept of "minimalism" in kettlebells.  Doing getups and one hand swings day after day or doing nothing but clean and presses is too boring for me.  That doesn't mean you won't get really good at each, you will, it's just boring, and too much volume.

My comrade Tommy Rambo and I were playing golf at his course in Connecticut, and he was telling me he was doing "80 cleans and presses in 30 minutes with his 24 kg bells).  Three times a week. Really good for 53?"  I said, "what's the point of that amount of volume?"  The joints have only so many reps, why not play the long game?  He has since taken the month off and still looks jacked. He's a Marine, and fun to play golf with.  Structured, flask of Dewar's one cigar on front 9, one on back. whistling his way to a 15 handicap. That being said anything over 50 reps for grinds is too much.  25-50 is the sweet spot, 40 is better.  

I have eliminated a LOT of exercises from my repertoire, I don't want to hear Rice Krispie's in my shoulder and want to keep my right shoulder as healthy as possible. 

1. High volume snatches.  

2. One hand swings

3. Heavy presses

4. Jerks.  Not good bouncing on the ball of my foot for my neuroma. 

5. Heavy Front Squats

There is a lot of value in these movements, just not for me anymore.  Here are some movements that are just dumb stupid circus tricks.

1. Heavy Turkish Getups. I raise my hand guilty as charged.   I used to do them.  As George W. Bush said, "when I was young and stupid, I was young and stupid."  Here's proof from 2013.  The get down was always the hardest part for me. I used to do 5 a side switching hands every rep.  I was mentally exhausted when I was done.  The last time I have done a TGU over 55 lb. was on a bet this past March.  Someone told me I couldn't do one on each side with a 32 kg at my gym.  I did 2 in a a row on each side and collected on a free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black.  Hadn't done a TGU 6 months prior to it or done one that heavy since.

Dan John has railed against heavy getups for a LONG time.  I was fortunate enough to be a guest of Dan's at the Perform Better conference last month.  A great guy who is extremely generous with his time.  His coaching discussion and workshop were incredible.

I am of the opinion that unless you are a mutant, save your money on buying heavy kettlebells.  I sold my two 88 lb. kettlebells in the midst of the pandemic for more money than I paid for them.  Stick to 32kg/70lb. and under.  No reason at all to go heavier. 

2. Windmills. Some please tell me why you need them?  Want a strong core? Ab wheel

3. Bent Press Silly old time circus trick. Either you can press the weight or not. The number of people who care I can count on one hand.

4. Bottoms-up loaded carries. I like my teeth the way they are.

5. Rotational ballistics.  Turn and do swings or cleans.  Huh?  Nope.  There is an instructor I USED to follow who does these.  I'll leave him nameless to protect the idiocy.  

Other thoughts from the DragonDoor/StrongFirst universe

1. Simple is great, Sinister is stupid. One hand swings, with a 48 kg are ugly.

2. You will reach a limit to your strength.  Not everyone will reach the Rite of Passage. At 188 lb., I maxed out at 36 kg/79 lb. bell.  Never came close on the 40kg/88 lb. bell.  I could push press it.

3. Press>Jerk>Push Press.  Push presses will not help your press.  Too much leakage of strength.

4. You will reach your limit for snatching.  160 in 10 minutes for me with a 55 lb. bell. You get to a certain age, see above where the cardiovascular engine only has so much horsepower.  Grip, shoulder fatigue, hamstring comfort, breathing.  100 in 5 minutes? In the old days, sure.  Minutes 6-10 are a different animal.

5. Why would anyone do Girevoy Sport?  Other than the pretty colored kettlebells?

6. The individuals that blindly follow the Simple and Sinister workout for more than 3 months are completely missing the boat on what makes kettlebells fun.  I've never laid down and thought, "can't wait to do Turkish Getups today!"  I like them, just never looked forward to them.

7. Not following a program and freestyling it, can be the most emancipating fun workouts to do. Make up your own.

8. The protocols with numbers QD45, are silly. It's not a nuclear program. Silly marketing schtick.  I still burst out laughing anytime I see the old StrongFirst photos of guys dressed up in paramilitary gear.

9. If I was to choose a program for 12 weeks, it would be the Rite of Passage. The dread of heavy day still reigns in the back of my head. But it works. REALLY REALLY works. Unfortunately, once you get to the 32kg/70 lb. lots of people, including me start to get nicked up.  150 presses are A LOT. 

10. Why is it always the BJJ guys who have programming ADD? Can I do this? and this? while doing my BJJ 4 days a week?                                           

Enter the Kettlebell vs The Giant

 I wanted to right a comparison of Enter the Kettlebell's Rite of Passage vs. The Giant.  Having had experience running both programs, I will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of both.  How they are alike and how they are different.  

First, let's state the obvious:  Both are kettlebell programs in which you do the clean and press for 3 days a week. Both use auto-regulation for rest periods.  Both can be done with one kettlebell. The Rite of Passage and The Giant 2.0 both use a ladders repetition scheme. You will get strong doing either, guaranteed.  Both wave the reps schemes weekly; easy, medium, hard.

Now let's state the differences.

Goals:

The Rite of Passage (ROP) goal is twofold: 

1. To press half of your bodyweight with a kettlebell on each side.

2. Be able to snatch the 24 kg for men 200 times in 10 minutes. 

The Giant is a 5 program set running 20 weeks where you start with either your 5 or 10 rep max and run through 4 or 5 of the sub-programs and advance the repetition scheme of each sub-program. Ideally each week, perform one more set than the previous week.

Number of kettlebells used during workout:

ROP is a single kettlebell clean and press. program, but you may use a heavier kettlebell for your swings or snatches.

The Giant is a single OR double kettlebell clean and press. 

Time:

ROP is to be run until you reach 1/2 bodyweight press and achieve 200 snatches.  The time of each workout is as long as necessary to finish your 5 ladders of cleans and presses and the number of minutes for the dice roll for snatches and swings.

The Giant is a 20 week program.  Each workout is 20-30 minutes long.  

Rep Scheme:

ROP 3 days, Easy, Medium, Heavy, 5 ladders of (1,2,3), (1,2,3,4), (1,2,3,4,5) 310 total reps per week.

The Giant 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 3.0 Reps run from 1-9.  Straight sets.  Meaning, as many sets of 1 or 9 in the 20-30 minutes you set.  The Giant 2.0, ladders run 3-8 reps.

Rest Days:

ROP recommends 2 full rest days and 2 "variety days" where you can practice other movements.  Squats, snatches, getups.  Basically Pavel is saying, "I know you're not going to rest like I'm telling you so have at it two other days."

The Giant recommends take 4 days off, recover and enjoy life.  If you must, 3 x 3 schemes on off days.  Or walk, yoga, just take it easy.

Extras:

ROP recommends doing pullups in between sets of ladders.  I don't have a pullup bar at home so I do one arm rows. Plus snatches and swings.  Number of minutes by rolling 2 dice.  I like the latter part.  The former is tough when doing pullups.  Especially when doing pullups in the 4th and 5th ladder.

The Giant, did I mention all you do is clean and press?  Just clean and press.

My take: Both are awesome programs. I've run both for over 20 weeks now or in the past.  I love the finisher of doing swings and snatches of the ROP.  It is truly a strength and conditioning program that covers a lot of bases.  The variety days are great for doing some squats, 5 x 5 will do, and practicing snatching.  I don't believe snatching once a week at 50-60% capacity is going to get you to pass the snatch test. 

It's a younger man's program if you have your sights set on the goals.  At 52, I'm not getting to 200 with a 24 kg bell.  I don't have the cardiovascular capacity.  That doesn't mean you can't run the program for 3 months, just it's not likely to happen.  I've also accepted the 1/2 body press is out of reach.  I have push pressed the 40 kg for reps, but never strict pressed.  

My all time best at 185-190 lb.

Clean and press 36 kg for ladders of (1,2,3) on each side.  160-165 snatches with a 25 kg bell in 10 minutes.  I have passed the 5 minute test of a 100 reps with a 25 kg bell.

Most people max out on this program with the 32 kg bell. Performing 75 reps of clean and press on each side with a 32 is no joke, and after running it for a little bit, I've found myself getting nicked up, injury-wise.  Best recommendation 3 months and switch.  You'll love the results, but for the mature kettlebeller, the chance of injury is increases as you progress.  

One last thing, the heavy day workouts are LONG, as in hitting it hard for 60-75 minutes.  25 sets each side + hard swings.

The Giant 

This program is a real winner.  Here's what I love about it.  Set the clock for 20-30 minutes, do the work.  If you're having a bad day and the bells feel heavy, just by showing up and doing 4-6 sets, you've finished your workout.  With the ROP, it's not done until the ladders are done.  It is recommended that you run it with doubles for best results.  You can even use mismatched bells (I don't)  You can run it with a single bell. 

I remember first starting it and using double 55's.  My rep max was 6.  Now in the 1.2 program where the heavy day is 9, I just blow right past 6 reps. I did 4 sets of 9 in 16 minutes and a set of 4 in 20 minutes.  By the time I finished 1.0, 10 reps clean and press with 55's. was no problem.  

The good news is, you get REALLY good at the clean and press. If you're using the right doubles weight, it's great for conditioning and with the correct diet, you'll trim down while packing on some muscle.  Bad news, is there is no variety. You can run other programs alongside it, but you'll stall, progression-wise as you get into weeks 9-20.

Right now, my off-days for 1.2 are 45 minutes of yoga and a 3 mile walk.  I'm not going to stray from this.  

I am looking forward to testing my rep max with double 32's when I'm done.

Conclusion:

You can't go wrong with either.  If you have the time to invest, are not high mileage, like variety and want to become a stud with a single kettlebell, than the ROP is for you.  If you want a minimalist, just do this for 60-90 minutes per week with time to recover and also use doubles, than go with The Giant. 

 

The Giant 1.1 and Thoughts on 75 Hard

Well it took me 6 weeks, but the Giant 1.1 program is in the books.  I did use the double 55's, but adjustments had to be made.  First, the timer.  I set it for 20 minutes instead of 30.  Secondly, I did not chase sets.  If I only did 5 sets, good enough. Third, I went on vacation for 8 days and did not have access to kettlebells.  I finally played my autoregulation card.  There is some real magic in 5 sets of 6-8.  It was hard and yes, I'm going to run 1.2.  The 9 rep days aren't going to be pretty, but I ran it with 45's so I know what I'm getting into.  Just going to go by feel, because 6 months from now, am I really going to care if I only got 45 reps vs 54?  The program was a success and didn't get injured.

Just after my last post, I finished the Ballistic Beatdown program.  One of my LEAST favorite from the More Kettlebell Muscle/Kettlebell Hard book. I dislike doing long sets of high pulls.  They are a grip killer and doing 10, followed by 10 double snatches is just not safe.  Especially for people who have just started using double kettlebells.  Days 2 and 3 are not fun in weeks 5 and 6.  Don't recommend.  

I will say the benefit of Ballistic Beatdown is the conditioning aspect, but I think there are better routes to take.  I was in Florida and running 5-6 miles at a clip.  Flat land and warm, but not hot weather.  Got 3 rounds of golf in and hit the ball great.  A good way to finish the season.

75 Hard is a program designed by Andy Frisella.  It's not a physical transformation challenge.  It's a "ironman" for the brain.  I have not finished it.  I have run it for 9 days twice and failed.  I chose to fail. When you fail, back to day 1.  Cue up the Price is Right, loss music....wha whu whu wa WAHHHHHHHH.

Here are the rules:

For 75 days,

1. Progress photo once a day.  

2. No alcohol

3. Follow a diet.  NO junk food or cheat meals

4. Two workouts per day, one MUST be outdoors 45 minutes each

5. Read 10 pages of a self development book

6. Drink one gallon of water a day.

No compromises, no excuses.

Sounds easy?  Let's evaluate:

Progress photo

I can't believe people fail on this.  Wake up, hit the head, wash your hands, grab your phone, shoot.  No one needs to see it.  We all look our age 1st thing. Laugh, delete.  Why do this?  So you can measure progress, but more importantly, it's about the details.  Simple tasks matter.

No alcohol

This one can be tough for a lot of people.  I have failed because I went to my friend's new restaurant and bar and had a couple of beers.  A great habit to be in, and your workouts are incredible.  I did drink alcohol down in Florida because I was on vacation.  It's a choice. Is having that beer going to help you attain your goals?  No.  Pretty black and white.  After 14 days, this gets easy.  My suggestion would be start by designating 1 day a week to drink for about 3-4 weeks.  No alcohol on the other 6 days to get out of the habit.

Diet

This is the hardest one for everyone.  You can pick ANY diet you want.  This could be as simple as eating 3 square meals a day.  No junk food.  I have read blogs and opinions from "nutritionists" that  says it can cause an unhealthy relationship with food.  I call HORSE MANURE.  Eat healthy, what's unhealthy about eating clean and not drinking?  I picked one meal a day twice a week, which is basically fasting for 22-23 hours.  Again, is eating potato chips helping me reach my goals?  Eat, just make sure it's good food.

Two Workouts, 45 minutes each

This one can be a challenge especially with the weather getting cold and unpredictable up here in the northeast.  First the good news, I have an 18 month old golden retriever who is the apple of my eye and she needs exercise.  A 3 mile walk is a win/win.  Indoors, piece of cake I have kettlebells and after the Giant, can do some ab work, farmer carries and 5 x 5 squats and rows.  

Why outdoors?  Conditions aren't always perfect in life.  These workouts also can't be run back to back.  Two workouts is a little extreme.  I would say if you need to recover.  yoga for one session and a walk for another.  Last week, I hit tennis balls to my dog, (I live in the center of a cul-de-sac) and did some kettlebell swings, squats and carries in my driveway for 45 minutes. Be creative.

Read 10 pages of a self improvement book

A great habit to practice instead of scrolling your phone over morning coffee.  I work for a habit change company, so I'm reading Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg to improve my craft.  

Habits = Motivation + Ability + Prompt.  What people don't realize is motivation AKA willpower is finite.  Ability and prompt aren't  To be successful at making good habits, focus on your ability and what prompts you.

Drink a gallon of water a day.

Ok, this is extreme.  Especially for women.  128 oz. is a LOT of water.  Yes you will be hydrated.  But if you're drinking 3 quarts which should be your minimum and are peeing clear, that should be good enough.  Substituting water for PM coffee or wine/beer is the theory behind it.  Here is the issue:  The outdoor workout.  There is nothing worse than trudging home the last 15 minutes when your bladder is about to explode, OR drinking it all at night and waking up every 2 hours.  Drink as much as you can early and be strategic about your outdoor workout.  This is the worst step of the program, and when I do it, I drink the gallon. 

I think this is genius if you understand the psychology behind it.  It can be extreme.  It is NOT a check the tasks off.  The tasks should be done with INTENT.  Everyone compromises with themselves in life.  This program teaches you not to compromise, to be your best even on days you don't feel it. It teaches you in business or life that conditions aren't always going to be perfect, but you do the right thing anyway.  Sandy Koufax one time said he only had his best pitching stuff 20% of the time.  But look at his numbers, he performed without it.  

I'm 0 for 2 so far.  However I have lost about 6 lb-7 lb. from vacation and did power through a 39 hour fast Monday vs. fasting twice.  

Even if you're not running 75 Hard, and ran this below, it's a really good blueprint for health and discipline. 

1. Eat a healthy diet

2. No/limited alcohol 1 day a week limit 3 units

3. Drink 3 quarts of water

4. Read a chapter, self improvement, non-fiction, Bible.  

5. One workout one walk

6. Take a photo once a week. 

Don't count the days. Just win today.  

For the most of this blog, I DO NOT provide progress reports.  I don't write about it unless I finish it.  I really don't like when people post on forums, and blogs how after 30 days how they're life has changed, yet fail 3 days later and never complete the program. 

No one wants to see progress photos of a soon to be 53 year old man with bed head anyway.  

Happy Thanksgiving

The Giant 2.0

 Yesterday in my journey of doing Geoff Neupert's The Giant, kettlebell program,  I finished the 2.0 workout.  What makes this different than the other 4 workouts is that it uses ladders vs. straight sets.  I believe this is the best next progression after 1.0.  Why?  In 1.0, the heavy day is the 6 rep day.  For 20-30 minutes, you're performing continuous reps of 6.  If you do the 1.1 workout, 6 is the light day and 8 is the heavy day!  That might be too much progression.  Kind of like a $3.5 trillion spending bill. No, that would be the 1.2 program.

The 2.0 program uses ladders ranging from 3-8.  Meaning, first set, do a set of 4. Rest, next set of 6, rest set of 8. Start ladder over.  What I like about ladders is instead of balling out and starting with a set of 8, which might feel awful, you kind of ease into it. Set of 4, loosen up a little, set of 6, warmed up, set of 8.  It's kind of like pitching.  You don't go into a game without warming up.  The first couple of rungs help you get the movement pattern down for the money set.

I ran this program with double 55 lb./25kg kettlebells.  4 weeks, 1st 3 were for 30 minutes, last week was 20.  My best was 75 reps on a medium day, which was a personal record.  The magic in this program is in the high rep sets, 7's and 8's.  They also take a LOT out of you.  I never went to failure, but hit a wall on heavy day in week 3.  Now if I did the program as written and rested, maybe the results might have been even better.  

I am still running a couple of days a week on treadmill or outdoors.  3-5 miles, just for meditative purposes.  Also gone to the gym to do some pullups and rows.  Last Sunday, after an easy day deload week 20 minute session, I decided to do a snatch test for 5 minutes.  Being over 50, as a "master" (insert joke), I can use the 45 lb. bell.  

Chalked up, set the clock and started.  There are many different ways to get to 100.  20 reps sets descending to 15, 10 and 5.  I'm not a fan of long sets.  I find them to be grip fryers and cause shoulder fatigue.  When the grip starts going, you're more apt to have a bad rep, a pinch and a blood blister.  Sets of 10 are okay.  Just boring.  A few years ago, I did this with a 35 and did 200 in 9 minutes.  It was still pretty miserable.  

Personally I like, 8, 8 and then 6 sets of 7,7.  The grip stays fresher. The sets don't seem that long.  If you can do 5 reps, everyone can do an extra 2. And my shoulders feel better.  There are some drawbacks to this.  First, you have to keep a decent pace.  Hand switches waste time. Second, the counting aspect.  This isn't a problem for me.  My brother teases me, that I know my exact golf score in my head or how many points I scored when I played basketball.  But it works for me.  

The key is NOT PUTTING  THE BELL DOWN.  If you put the bell down, fatigue takes over, it's hard to get going again, and you'll put it down again.  Ever notice when running how hard it is to start running again when you stop? Or doing a task you dread at work, get going on it and stop?  Same thing.  Anyway, I did the 100 at a nice easy pace in 4:50 and did 4 more for 104 total.  I might train with a 55 again.  I haven't done 100 with a 55 in about 5 years.  

What's next? I'm kind of in a no-man's land. Going on vacation in 20 days.  I can squeeze 3 weeks of The Giant 1.1 in.  Then take a week off as a de-load. And finish week 4 by doing a full 30 minutes.  Or I could finish Ballistic Beatdown.  I have 3 weeks left. I'm not a fan of it.  I HATE high pulls.  Especially before snatches. Finishing it would be more of a matter of pride than enjoyment  I'm leaning toward the former.

The Giant 1.0 = Results

I decided after finishing Lucky 13 to start The Giant 1.0 program by Geoff Neupert. When I purchased The Giant, for a whole $19, I would test my clean and press and work with my 10 repetition max as recommended in the book.  Started with 55's and only did 6.  I decided to begin with 45's.  After a week or 2 of pressing into triple digits on 1.0, I quit the program and went to Giant 3.0, which is a lower rep program using 5 RM max.  I used 55's and that helped me raise my rep max to a whopping 7. I ran 1.2 which is all reps with 45's.  I sincerely believe doing all those reps with 45's really helped me, because my press became a lot more efficient. The more vertical the path, the shorter the length to locking out. 

While doing Lucky 13, I did some intermittent lifting with 55's.  5 sets of 2-4 reps for a couple of weeks. I decided at this point to just run 1.0 with the 55's and see what happens.  No rep max test.  Suck it up candy ass.  Well the results are in.  First week, 167 total reps in 90 minutes to 185 total reps in the 3rd week.  My only setback was in week 2, I wasn't able to add a set on the heavy day.  I did more reps as I did a quick 2 at the end to finish. 10 x 6 + 1 x 2 for 62.  Completely my fault. I was running Ballistic Beatdown from More Kettlebell Muscle, on 3 of the off days for fat loss/cardio purposes. Heavy day was the day before and the workout was 180 reps of Double Swings, High Pulls, Double Snatches, Squats and Jerks.  Shoulders were tired.  Learned my lesson and shelved it.  Instead went to Planet Fitness and did some light pulldowns, rows and a run on off days. 

I have finished week 4 by deloading down to 20 minutes from 30, and doing an easy 6-8 sets.  

What I've noticed:

• My conditioning is off the charts.  Between running 1.2, then the complexes tuned my engine up.  I'm running 5 miles no sweat once a week and did a 3 mile treadmill run in under 25 minutes. I haven't done that since my 30's.
• The light days were harder sometimes than the heavy days.  At first, I thought it was mental or anti-climatic, but then, duh, more sets = lower rest periods.  11 sets in 30 minutes is a lot less than 15 total sets.
• I'm hungry, all the time.  Weight went to 190. I'm going on a golf vacation Thursday to my buddy's house in Asheville, NC. The plan is to clean up the diet after.
• The Giant 1.0 did not help my golf game.  I've become a complete mental basketcase.  Need to find my relaxed Zen.  Bad swing thoughts = bad results.  Is it really too much to just be a 13-15 handicap?  My irons and putting are good enough.  Erratic off the tee and inconsistent with the fairway woods.  I shot 41 this summer with a triple on a par 3 because I hit a 9 iron into the shit and lost a ball.  Didn't hit anything other than 6 iron off the tee that 9 in Naples. Go figure.

Saturday I decided to test my rep max with the double 55's/25kg bells.  I'm not a fan of tests anymore, or road races.  But I decided to just do it.  I banged out 10 and absolutely had 1 in the tank.  Here's the proof.  

.

•  Two weeks ago I tried to clean and press double 32 kg/70 lb. bells and failed.  Not even close.   This past Saturday, 30 minutes after the test above, I tried twice, got a LOT closer but failed. I had not done cleans in a long time with the 70's.  They weren't crisp and I needed to zip up and get tighter.  Sunday comes, I'm vacuuming in the basement, I walked over, did a set of 4 double cleans just to get warmed up and used to the movement, focusing on getting tight. 10 minutes later:                   

      

             

    It was a GRIND, by no means a thing of beauty but it went up.  First time in at least 4, probably            closer to 5 years, since I did it.

What's next on tap?  Well I have 3 choices.  

• Finish Ballistic Beatdown, (3 1/2 more weeks of workouts, and get the eating under control) 
• Run Giant 1.1.  Probably the 3rd choice.  6 rep days are the light days instead of the heavy days
• Run Giant 2.0. Reps are ladder style.  There are some hairy rep counts, but not 30 minutes of doing straight 8 rep sets. 

I'm going to have to run 1.1 and take ALL rest days, so I'd like the diet to be under control.  Also, the weather is gorgeous here, and I still want to get some runs in.  Ballistic Beatdown is a bitch, I should probably finish it and wave the load of pressing.  

Lucky 13, More Kettlebells Muscle

So the plan of doing bodyweight exercises for 30 days lasted a whole 4 days.  My left shoulder could not take it.   Pushups, pullups, dips were irritating my clavicle.  Pressing overhead doesn't cause issues but anything lateral makes it squawk.  I wasn't ready to go back to The Giant yet, so I decided to go to my old standby: More Kettlebell Muscle by Geoff Neupert. Purchase here.

When I finish a program in the book, I write down whether I did it as a complex or chain, and the date I finished.  I've finished 15 of them.  There is one I can't complete because my grip can't handle it,  I need another 35 lb. bell.  I selected Lucky 13 and decided to do it as a chain.  All these programs last 6-9 weeks, 3 workouts per week. For some of these programs, the workouts are under 10 minutes for the first 3-4 weeks.  48 hours rest between workouts.  I decided to combine 2 weeks into one and complete it in 3 weeks.

What makes Lucky 13 different from other programs is the inclusion of the reverse lunge.  Although you do a lunge in the getup, it's not programmed in most kettlebell workouts.  Why? It is a balance issue, can cause knee issues and one needs practice to perfect them.  Too bad, because they are a PHENOMENAL exercise with good form while holding 2 bells in the rack.  And they are great for conditioning.  I remember including them in an Escalated Density program I was doing with the double snatch.  15 minutes of work never took so long.  I prefer them over the goblet squat, which in my opinion is a nice beginner movement to pry the hips open but that's where it belongs, or as a warmup.

I haven't done complexes or chains in awhile, so the first 5 or 6 workouts were getting my locomotive engine back into metabolic conditioning.  Although I've been doing a lot of running and hiking, there is HUGE difference than doing 90 second kettlebells sets.  The medium day and the easy day were both, nice easy workouts.  The reverse lunge in medium day helped me get used to doing the movement again.  Had a couple of bad reps, but was able to find the groove.  No lunges on easy day.  Then we get to day 3, heavy day.  I was using two 45 lb. kettlebells. 

Heavy day includes lunges and squats.  30 reps of total exercise per round. 3 rounds in week 1, 5 rounds, weeks, 3 and 5, 6 rounds week 6.  The work : rest ratio shrinks from 1:2 weeks 1-3 to 1:1.5 weeks 4-6.  When I was done the 1st week of heavy day, I was so happy there were only 3 rounds.  I was a puddle of sweat huffing and puffing.  As my conditioning for chains came back I handled the 4 and 5 rounds weeks 1-3.  Uncomfortably with legs starting to shake.  

Week 5 heavy day was particularly brutal.  I was trash for 30 minutes.  First, the breath starts to increase, then the shoulders start to tire from pressing and holding the bells in the rack for so long, finally the panic sets in as the foundation, AKA legs start to shake.  I didn't have a 6th round in me and was questioning, how I would conclude this.  

Welp, I kind of cheated.  The good news was I got all the reps in, and the time it took to do the workout was less than I had estimated. Here's what I did: 

Number of seconds per round + rest period.  So 84 seconds to complete the chain of one of the 6 rounds.  Rest 126 seconds which is 1.5 x 84.  Add 84 + 126 gives you the time between starting a new round which is 210 seconds.  Multiply that for 5 complete rounds and you get 1,050 seconds.  Add 84 more seconds for the 6th round gets you to 1134 seconds or 17:54 for total time.

Each round contains 5 sequences.  So 6 rounds x 5 sequences is 30 total sequences.  Now take 1134 seconds and divide by 30.  Equals 37.8 seconds.  So instead of doing 5 sequences at once and resting for 2 minutes and 6 seconds, I did a sequence, rested until 37 seconds passed and did the sequence again.  30 times.  So it was, Sequence, rest to 37 seconds, sequence, rest to 1:14 seconds, sequence rest to 1:51 until I  finished the 30 sequences.  

Think of it as rest:pause/interval training vs. doing 5 at once and resting.  Heartrate stays up, form doesn't breakdown because fatigue isn't setting in, finished  all the reps done in less time, didn't stiffen up from resting 2 minutes.  The only thing that didn't happen was lactic acid setting in from the fatigue.  I finished in 17:32. I did need to pay attention not to lose count.

Results were positive, while doing this program, I hiked in Acadia National Park up in Bar Harbor, ME with my wife for our 25th anniversary and rucked up three 1200 foot summits which according to AllTrails were deemed "DIFFICULT" with no problem.  I also did a mountain goat run at home which has eluded me for couple of years due to the steepness of one of the hills about 2 miles out and was able to complete the run.  Heartrate has been around 52.  Weight around 186, blood pressure in check. 

In order to keep up with strength goals for starting The Giant again, I've been following this "grease the groove" pressing program using double 55's.  I like calling it "intermittent workouts."  Every 30 minutes to an hour do a set until you do 5 sets.  My only issues is sitting down, I have to get up and walk around to loosen up before doing the set.  I was feeling cocky on Saturday and tried a clean and press with double 70's.  Not even close, those days might be done. 

On tap is one more program of complexes. It's probably going to be "Ballistic Beatdown."  With reps of 10, it looks like it might be a grip killer.  I'll run it as a complex. 

The Giant 3.0

StrongFirst's kettlebell forum has a 50 + page dedicated to Geoff Neupert's GIANT clean and press program.  After reading about it, figured, I'd plunk down the $19 to download it.  What's a little frivolous spending?  Basically, it's a 10 page E-Book describing the program.  Worth the money?  Well, if you like the clean and press, either single or double, this is the program for you.  It's five, 4-week programs based on your 10 rep max (4 programs) or 5 rep max (1 program).  You can use a single kettlebell or doubles. 

You can run each program for 20 or 30 minutes. 3 x a week.  That's 60 or 90 minutes of exercise a week.  Off days.  Ab work, mobility, foam roll or walk.  If you must do a 3 x 3 program.   

Here is the link: The Giant

Coming off losing about 20 lb. since the fall and finishing Kettlebell Burn Extreme, I knew I had lost a little strength. The first Giant is with your 10 rep max.  I HATE testing rep max, (does anyone like it)? So I decided not to do it.  Last time I tested it was in the fall and I did 55's for 8.  So calculating my loss of strength due to weight loss, opted for the 45's. It was too easy.  90 reps first day, 102 on second day.  Third day which was the lower rep day, I used the 55's, and had a great workout.  Took 2 days off and on medium day, I took the 55's and did 5 sets.  Unfortunately, 6th set was failure.  Not what we're looking for.  Completely stuck in between bells.  45's too easy, 55's too light.  It was suggested to try uneven bells.  A 45 in one hand and a 55 in the other.  Did one clean and press and it was too awkward and weird.  It was a chiropractic appointment awaiting to happen. What to do?

Decided to start with the 5 RM Giant. Which is 3.0.  It's described as "how to make a pair of heavy kettlebells feel light using your 5 RM." I decided to really test my RM's again.  For 55's did 6 and the last rep was not optically pleasing.  For 45's, I did 13 and quit with 2 in the tank.  Talk about a disparity.  Nothing like starting a program over a 1/3 of the way into it.  

Used the 55's.  First day, medium day got 25 sets.  Second workout of the week was supposed to be heavy day, but I felt so terrible, that I did easy day and did 33 sets.  Did heavy day and got 18 sets.  Week 2, you're supposed to do one more set than last week for each workout.  Set clock for 30 minutes, felt really good and then, my wife's friend came by to drop something off. (I was lifting in my driveway) Gabbed with her for 5 minutes and made the last 15 minutes, full-on MetCon, trying to beat the clock.  Did 26 sets!  

I don't know what it is but I'm much better and more explosive with lower reps and quick twitch.  I used to do a lot of military pressing with double 70's.  I could do sets of 2-3 all day long.  But only managed over 5 a couple of times.  Did 7 on my best day with a video to prove it.  7+ years ago, cue up Glory Days. 

A couple of things to be aware of.  This is as MINIMIALIST as it gets.  Even more so than the most overrated program in history Simple and Sinister. I couldn't imagine doing one hand swings and getups 6 days a week for months on end.  One of the things that drew me to kettlebells were ALL of the different exercises you can do and never get bored.  This is 180 degrees from that. The temptation is to have variety days like in the Rite of Passage, but I've decided to DO THE PROGRAM AS WRITTEN and see what happens.  Ab wheel, and Band Pull-Aparts are my only extra exercises.  And believe me it's tempting.

Beautiful weather calls for jogging or hill sprints.  Nope, just walking and yard work.  I actually like the 3-4 days off.  It takes a week to get over the need to stimulate with exercise. As stated in the previous 2 blog posts, IT IS 85% DIET!!!  You get strong on your days off.  Can I add this exercise or that?  Sure, you can, but then it's not the program.  For 99% of us, trying something for 4 weeks and eliminating something else is not going to kill your gainz....It might help heal soreness and nagging injuries you might have.  The goal of the 3.0 is to increase your rep max in the clean and press from 5 to hopefully 8-10.  And then do 1.0.  Or maybe I have to spend another session of 3.0 to get it to 10.  The 55's used to feel so light. They don't anymore.  

$19 for possibly 6 months of kettlebell programming is worth it.  So far so good. My goal is to finish 3.0, take 1 week off for vacation to Florida and then decide on 3.0 again or 1.0  There are 56 pages of support on the thread of the forum.

Kettlebell Burn Extreme Reloaded

Decided after Easter Sunday, it was time to take off the last of the COVID-15, that I had gained.  Back in September 2020 after a golf vacation and a couple of weeks later was just over the 200 lb. mark, which is almost an all time high for me.  I got to 202.4 after one particularly poor eating/drinking day.  Pants were TIGHT.  From a conditioning standpoint, I had finished Kettlebell Muscle running it for 6 weeks instead of 12.  Was in great shape, but blood pressure was high and I was carrying too much weight for a 5'11" 51 year old male. Finally, around the beginning of December, I decided it was time to eliminate the one thing that makes me gain weight.  Drinking alcohol.  I did not have a problem, but like many, binged on scotch on the weekend.  

At this time, my life had become EXTREMELY stressful.  I remember being up until 3 AM one Monday morning, waking up at 7 AM filled with anxiety.  I said to myself, "that's it."  Done.  Life would get a lot worse and remained so for another month.  It was a nightmare that thankfully has turned around.  I felt that at that point, in order to help fix the issue I needed to be mentally at my best and focused.  I also, started praying the Rosary every day and going to Mass every weekend.  

Without the extra calories of the alcohol as well as the lack of sluggishness, my workouts got immediately better and I became a lot sharper.  My weight started to come off.  First, down to 195-196, then to 193.  Yet my diet wasn't locked in.  I didn't eat poorly, but not well either.  Finally down to around 191-192, but I had a belly.  My navel measurement was around 37.5, which doesn't put it in the metabolic risk category, but for vanity purposes, too large.  

I had run Kettlebell Burn Extreme  by Geoff Neupert with success back in 2014 and used double 70's.  I never missed a cold shower, a workout or meal timing.  Cold showers in the dead of winter are awful.  Lost around 13 lbs. It worked really well.  And I did reward myself with beer or scotch on cheat day. At that point, I had realized it's 85% diet.  You cannot exercise a bad diet.  

Here's how the diet works:

Monday, Wednesday Friday. 3-4 meals. Protein, Fat, Complex Carb in each meal (quinoa, oatmeal, lentils, beans or sweet potato)

Tuesday, Thursday, 2-3 meals (Protein, Fat) No carbs

Saturday, Cheat day eat whatever you want.

Sunday Fast 36-40 hours. You have all the calories, 3500-4500 from the day before that helps resets leptin levels, use those calories to get through the fast. 

Workouts 6 days a week. On carb days 25 minutes, double kettlebells, presses and squats. 5 rep max.  I chose 55's to avoid injury  On non-carb days and cheat days.  one arm swings and snatches.  Long sets of 20.  I am using 55 for the swings and a 35 for the snatches (don't want elbow tendonitis from long snatch sets)  

Recovery, I'm using foam rolling and deep breathing as well as stomach vacuums.  I did one week of cold showers and decided to opt out.

18 days in.  I started with the fast for 40 hours just to get things going.  So I've done 3 fasts and will run it for 29 days vs. 28.

Results so far:  

Navel: 36 inches down from 37.5  

Weight: I think my start weight was about 191-192. Currently after 3rd fast 183.8.  First fast was 187.2, Second fast 185.8, now down to 183.8

55's seem to be the right weight. I am not chasing reps ala Escalation Density Training.  I'm auto regulating and averaging around 30-36 reps in 25 minutes.  Just setting the clock, and doing perfect reps.  For me, chasing reps is the perfect recipe for popping my SI joint.

Cold showers: See above stopped.  We are redoing our master bathroom which is a walk in shower and now using the tub/shower in the other bathroom.  Not enough space to get away from the cold water, said screw it.  My reward for being compliant on the diet is a hot shower.  

Fasting:  Have had zero issues with it. After the first cheat day, I had eaten so much at a dinner party, I couldn't wait to not eat the next day.  The cake and food were glorious.  This past fast, I played golf for the afternoon, an hour away.  I didn't get home until 8 PM and the witching hour had passed. 3 down 1 or 2 to go.

Diet: From a food choice standpoint, the only thing I've added was almonds.  Especially on no carb day to take the edge off.  Last time I ran this, I found the no carb days to be the hardest.  This time my portions are bigger than the fist, but I've been 95% compliant.  No cheese, no bread.  Fruit only on cheat days.  I've also added 2 spoons of Metameucil, 2 spoons of lemon juice, and 2 spoons of apple cider vinegar in water.  An orange sweet tart.  

My only complaint is I get headrushes, which is common for me due to being on 10 mg of Lisinopril for high blood pressure.  So far it's been in the 120's and 80's range.  When it gets to 105/69, I'll have to cut the dose in half.  If I don't take it, it's high.  

I've also included walking 3-4 miles 5 times a week. No running, no sprints, no other exercise except the program.  

Foods on my list: Beans, lentils, (I marinade both in olive oil, vinegar and garlic) quinoa, oatmeal with walnuts. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, lots of jalapenos, asparagus, lettuce, red onion, peppers, tomatoes. For protein, eggs, chicken thighs and breasts, hamburger, tuna grilled and canned, baked cod and haddock.  Being able to eat fish after 30 years of allergies is a GAMECHANGER for me.  So simple on a no carb day to throw to cod filets in an oven with asparagus. 

Cheat days have been glorious.  Last Saturday, I had 2 doughnuts, a couple of handful of chips and two heaping plates of Chinese food.  This Saturday is going to be waffles and bacon and pizza for dinner. 

What happens after the program is over?  

I've given this thought and feel that parts of this diet can be a lifestyle.  Add complex carbohydrates to the no carb days, as well as have fruit daily.  Fast once every 2 weeks, and enjoy whatever you want on cheat days. 

I'll do some random workouts post program with a focus on maintaining strength. Final results coming soon.

Kettlebell Muscle Review

This is the second time I've run the Kettlebell Muscle program.  Kettlebell Muscle is a book written by Geoff Neupert back in 2010.  It is one of the most famous books ever written about the effectiveness of kettlebell complexes and chains.  It was such a success that Geoff followed up with More Kettlebell Muscle which is 20 different programs.  But if you run them as a chain it's realistically 35 programs.

Unfortunately, the book is out of print.  I don't own it, however some generous soul had put it out on Reddit.  I don't use the forum, but copied the workout.  Before this blog, I checked and couldn't find it on a search.  If you want the workout, comment below and I'll get it to you. 

It is a double kettlebell program, using your 10-12 rep pressing max, to perform multiple sets of a complex.  What is a complex?  

A series of exercises strung together doing a number of reps at one exercise, transitioning to the next exercise without rest.  

For example: doing 5 reps of each exercise

Double Clean x 5, Double Snatch x 5, Double Press x 5, Front Squat x 5. Rest and Repeat.

For the Kettlebell Muscle Program, all the reps are set at 5.  Exercises are: Double Swing, Double High Pull, Double Clean, Double Snatch, Military Press, See-Saw Press, Clean and Press, Clean and Push Press and Front Squats. Rest periods run from 75-150 seconds dependent on the progression of the program.  Sets run from 3-7.

Workouts last as short as 7 minutes to almost 18.  Program is done 3 times a week, for 12 weeks. A minimum effective dose?  Absolutely, but it packs a real punch.  Especially weeks 6 and 12.

Having just finished a 16 week program, Geoff's Kettlebell Burn 2.0, where the workouts were 35-46 minutes, I wanted to just hit it and quit it.  I took a week off and went on a golf vacation in Asheville, NC, fully fresh and well fed, I started the program using Double 45's

After the first workout, which took 7 minutes, yes medium day, was 7 minutes.  3 rounds, 120 seconds rest in between. I decided to run the program 6 days a week.  Fit 2 weeks into 1 with a day off. Another change, I made was doing snatches, high pulls, and swings outside the knees.  Better hip snap and protection from popping my SI joint which has been a lingering injury on and off for 3 years.  

The program went by in a blur as I finished it in 6 weeks.  As you progress to 5-6 sets on heavy day and are doing 10 reps of squats with 90 seconds rest, the legs turn to absolute jelly with the shakes. 

In week 6 which occurred in the 3rd week, I had to put the bells down on set 5 of 6 sets.  So I got the rest down and finished rest pause style.  Double clean, rest 15 seconds, Double Press, rest etc.  I finished the workout in the same amount of time, just didn't have the discomfort of holding the bells in the rack and cut the 90 seconds rest down into 15 second increments.

Week 7, the program resets and you start with squats and add a chain movement of clean and push press to heavy day and a clean and press chain to medium day.  The first 6 weeks of the program help you set up for the discomfort of the second half of the program.  On heavy day, the last two exercises of the set are the double snatch and squat.  Once I got through the clean and push press, I knew I'd get through the set. Never did I think a double snatch set would be an oasis.

There were 2 things I was curious about, could you run the whole program as a chain and could you use it for fat loss.

A chain is a sequence of exercises just like a complex except you do one rep of each exercise repeated 5 times

Double Clean x 1 Double Snatch x 1 Press x 1, Squat x 1 and repeat that 5 times to finish the set.  

Chains spread the fatigue around and hit you like a sledge hammer after the 3rd rep. Kind of like drinking gin.  The whole world seems normal and then BOOM.

On an off day in the latter half of the program, I did a couple of sets of heavy day as a chain.  It was tough, yet doable. 

As a fat burner, no. The squatting volume makes you hungry, real hungry.  As in, "I need to social distance from my refrigerator" hungry.

Results:

Incredible condition.  Heart rate up over 180 beats per minute at the end of heavy day. 

Weight: 200-202.  Didn't lose weight, but my pants didn't get any tighter.  Need to cancel my membership in the 2 bills club.  

Strength. Higher.  Pressing 90 lbs. 20-35 reps 6 days a week improved my strength.  I haven't been working with heavy doubles in a year or so.  As a matter of fact, haven't pressed double 70's at all.  This week, I tried it. 140 lb. went up easy with good form.  Did 16 sets of 1 + a squat without any struggle at all

If you can find it, I highly recommend.  Comment below and I'll get you the program.