55th Year Tuneup and DO NOT DO THE RITE OF PASSAGE White Album Review

Welp, the time has come. SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY on my left shoulder on November 16.  The cortisone shots were working for less time and my range of motion was lessening. When putting on pit rub or combing your hair is an effort, it's time to address what's wrong. 6 weeks in a sling, right through the New Year.  Currently practicing shaving and brushing my teeth with my right hand. Three- month recuperation, will be ready by spring.  Going to PT twice a week to make the muscles around the shoulder stronger and to pre-habilitate my right shoulder which isn't great either.

I also need a protein injection in my right cornea to keep it from degenerating and starting Wednesday, removing some pre-cancerous skin blemishes from my face. Going to use an ointment that will turn my face completely red on the left side.  Use for 4 weeks. It's basically, chemo ointment.  Good times, going to look fantastic on the family Christmas card.

Been going to the gym. Physically in good shape, can lose 10 lb. but the engine and cardio are strong.  Echo Bike, Sled, Kettlebell Swings, and Hands-free Stairmaster intervals.  The Echo Bike is the nastiest piece of equipment, I've used in a LONG time.  Worked my way up to 19 miserable minutes, adding 1 each time. Tabata on it is the WORST. Now if I could re-lock in my diet, we'd be in business.

So, what caused all this shoulder problems?  Kettlebell volume.  All the pressing and snatching wore the cartilage down to a nub.  I also didn't start until I was 40 and already had mileage on me. All this work pressing double 70's for reps, snatching a 55, 200 times a couple times a week. Dumb dumb dumb.

I'm not saying don't do presses or snatches, I'm saying, pick a volume and go no higher.  For example, the Rite of Passage has you pressing 3x a week. 30 reps, 50 reps and 75 reps each arm, while doing pullups in between sets.  Recipe for disaster.  Both are brutal on the shoulders.  The ideal reps' scheme is 25-50 reps twice a week.  Lose the heavy day.  Grease the groove instead. Most people when they get to 32kg/70 lb. start getting nicked up. I'd say, for most average men, under 225 lb. don't go higher than a 24kg/52 lb. bell most of the time.  

Snatching is just as bad.  Think of the rolling of the ball and socket as it goes over your head.  Is that really good for your shoulders?  I love the exercise but 50 reps MAX per arm a couple of times a week and NEVER heavy.  Meaning no higher than 24kg/52lb. if you aren't interested in tennis elbow.  

I have no one to blame but myself.  I was the ignorant one. I love working with kettlebells, it's just now my time is over with them. Don't get fooled by programs that tell you, to keep banging your head against the wall to achieve 1/2 your body weight press and 200 snatches in 10 minutes.  Showing up, putting in the work, is all that counts. For the last 30 years, my weight has been between 180-200. It doesn't matter if I was running 5/3/1 and squatting 3 plates for 10 or doing 155 lb. with the safety bar.  Or pressing 70's for 3-5 reps or just doing shrugs.  I look the same. Maybe older, fatter and less muscular, but not much of a difference.  

This is not meant to be bitter.  It's reality and I hope others will learn the lesson. I'd be weary of any pressing programs that have you doing it 3x a week for volume. Including THE GIANT. What's the end game?  Squat instead, do rows, swings. 

Quick recap of the Beatles' 1968 White Album.  They did everything better than everyone else.  The Beach Boys in Back in the USSR, hard rock with Helter Skelter, the blues with Yer Blues and Why Don't We Do It in the Road? Music hall with Martha My Dear, Rock with While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Country with Rocky Racoon and Don't Pass Me By.  

30 songs, uneven, a hot mess. You could easily cull 9 songs off of it. Revolution 9, Long, Long, Long, Everybody Has Something To Hide, Rocky Racoon, Bungalow Bill, Wild Honey Pie, Piggies, Goodnight, Cry Baby Cry, and I would even lop Birthday to make it 10. Dumb lyrics.  

I really don't like most of John Lennon's stuff on here. Yer Blues is awesome and so is Sexy Sadie. Mommy issues and wanting to revert to a child with Bungalow Bill, Julia (McCartney with an acoustic singing is WAY better than Lennon), Dear Prudence (no wonder why she wouldn't come out to play). Revolution 9 should have been put on Two Virgins.  I always thought Happiness is a Warm Gun is overrated (ironic a warm gun killed him). I like Glass Onion, Dear Prudence, and I'm So Tired.  He peaked in 1965.

Back in the USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps are spectacular. Mother Nature's Son is better than Blackbird.  

The Greatest Single Kettlebell Program

 Did the title hook you to click?  

My experience with running the The Giant is over.  Using double 55 lb./25 kg kettlebells, I completed all 5 programs of 4 weeks apiece. What I loved about it, was set the clock from 20-30 minutes and do cleans and presses.  No timed rest periods, just auto-regulate and do the work. On days that, I didn't have it, all I had to do was get through the 30 minutes.

The issue, I have, is it is a minimalist approach.  Do one exercise for 20 weeks.  I like variety.  What I loved about the Rite of Passage program, is it also involves swings, snatches and 2 variety days.  As if the author is saying, "I know you're not going to do the program as written, so here are 2 days to do other work."

I freely admit that I was doing pullups, dips, chest presses and running on off days from The Giant.  So what now? 

Well, I combined the things I liked about both of the programs above combined them and added an exercise.

1. Use a single kettlebell

I like changing up between singles and doubles.  ROP is a single kettlebell program and The Giant can be done using a single bell.

2. Set the clock for 30 minutes and do clean and press on each side

I'll pass on doing 5 ladders, 75 repetitions per side and taking over an hour to complete heavy day.  Sweet spot for me is between 25 and 50 repetitions. 

3. ADD A SQUAT

Here is where I am traveling off the reservation.  My biggest complaint with both programs is the lack of squatting.  You can do them on variety days with the ROP, but it's never stated in the program.  I'm also a fan of single kettlebell squats in the rack.  One of the most UNDERRATED exercises. You need to stay tight so the bell doesn't fall out of the rack and it works the side abdominal wall as well.  This is not to be confused with a goblet squat, which you hold with both hands.  

It looks like this.  Medium day is sets of 2.  Clean and Press, Clean and Press, lower bell back to rack, squat 2 times, switch hands and repeat.

4. Swings and Snatches after completing 30 minutes.

I always loved this addition to the ROP for conditioning.  Using a dice roll, from 2-12, calculate the number of minutes to do ballistics.  On medium days, one hand swings, heavy days two hand swings, light days, snatches.  Depending how you feel effort level should be 75-100%.

Perform this program 3 days a week for 4 weeks. On off days, yoga, walk, do a 2-3 mile run, some pullups and dips. Walk on all off days.  I don't see walking as a workout.  I look at it as movement for your heart and to burn calories. 

Putting it all together, it looks like this, I'm using a 61.6 lb./28 kg bell for everything except snatches.  For snatches a 55 lb./25 kg bell.

BELL SIZE 5-6 REP MAX.  

SUNDAY MEDIUM DAY

30 minutes

Sets of 2 Clean and Press/Squat left, then a set of 2 Clean and Press/Squat right

One hand swings

Roll a pair of dice or go to RANDOM.ORG and press the button for a dice roll.  Take sum of roll and do sets of 10 left then 10 right of one hand swings as many sets as possible.  For example, dice roll is 10.  For 10 minutes, do sets of one hand swings, rest as necessary.  No rest between left and right hand.  Park bell once 20 swings are completed.

MONDAY/WEDNESDAY/FRIDAY/SATURDAY VARIETY OR REST DAY

Walk, do some YouTube yoga for 30-45 minutes, go to gym and do a light workout or run. Walk EVERYDAY, but at LEAST one day week, do nothing more than walk. 

TUESDAY HEAVY DAY

30 minutes

Sets of 3 Clean and Press/Squat left then a set of 3 Clean and Press/Squat right

Two hand swings

Same instructions as above with the dice roll.  I like doing a set of 10 ever 30 seconds.  So 15 seconds swings, 15 seconds rest. 

THURSDAY EASY DAY

30 minutes

Sets of 1 Clean and Press/Squat left, then a set of 1 Clean and Press/Squat right

One arm snatches

Same instructions as above with the dice roll.  Snatch left, snatch right, park bell. I like either doing a set of 5L, 5R and rest to the top of each minute. Or, a set of 10L, 10R, then rest a minute. Make sure to use impeccable form and take care of your hands to avoid blisters.

Do this for 4 weeks and test clean and press rep max. If the rep max is 7/8, try it using a 3, 4, 5 rep scheme.  If 9/10, do 4, 5, 6 rep scheme.

Happy New Year!

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. 

 

Rite of Passage Week 3 Three PR's then Injury

Week 3 of the Rite of Passage was one of the best weeks of training I've had in a while.  Started on Friday with a Medium Day of presses.  Got all the reps, rolled the dice for an 8.  Banged out 166 swings with the 88.  All time best.  Saturday messed around with some squats and swings with a 70 for variety day.  50 squats, 100 swings.  Sunday Easy Day of Presses, no sweat.  Rolled a 9 for snatches. 

Yes, I used gloves, chalked them up.  Did sets of 10 on each side put the bell down for 20 seconds do it again.  Did 131 in 9 minutes.  Again, not even breathing that heavy.  Grip was surprisingly strong.  form excellent. Monday I did hill sprints.  10 of them with 4 different routes.  Tuesday, my legs ached.  On Tuesday I did heavy day later in the day at 6 PM. Had a business trip in Hartford and almost held off until Wednesday.  Glad I didn't.  The bell was flying up on my presses.  Did 5 ladders in 55 minutes.  Rolled another 8, this time did 176 swings with the 88 in 8 minutes.  No grip issues at all.

Took Wednesday off to rest, Thursday was a variety day.  Did 5 sets of backup presses with the 88. Backup means, start pressing the bell and then use your off hand to lightly assist.  Once I got the bell in motion, I took my hand off the bell and did a 5 second descent back to the rack.  Did about 8 reps total on each side.  My swings have been going so well, I decided to do the Simple and Sinister test.  I have never followed the program, but in order to reach "Simple," men must achieve 100 one hand swings in a row switching hands every 10 reps and then doing 5 Turkish Getups on each side in 10 minutes with a 70 lb. bell.  Accomplished that a long time ago.  I decided to try with the 88.  I finished the swings in 2:47.  My legs were complete jello and my heart rate was 186.  Rested 5 minutes, banged out the getups in 7:30.  The "Sinister" goal is 106 lbs.  Never getting there, never buying the bell.  I felt like I was in control of the 88, not the other way around.

Feeling pretty proud of myself, I started week 4 of medium day yesterday.  Did my rows first with the 88, started my pressing, on rung 4, on the left side. pop. Pulled muscle between my shoulder blades, just to the left of my spine.  Stretched out, started ladder 2, twinged a little more.  Put the bell down, popped 2 aleve and that was all she wrote.  Today, it feels a lot better, but not 100%  Would love to go running or sprinting but we had 4 inches of rain last night, it's raining now with gust to 40 MPH.  Not happening, just will rest up, probably until Monday.

Same thing happened last year.  I did back squats, 10 reps at 315, two days later, back injury. Old age has a way of fighting back.  Not worried, I won't lose strength, I basically own the 70. 

Enter The Kettlebell, The Rite of Passage

After having excellent success with the 10,000 swing workout, I decided to change things up.  One thing that I really liked about the program was using a single kettlebell.  I've been mostly doing doubles for a long time.  Single kettlebell work can be tougher because the time under tension is longer.  For example, do a set of 5 presses with double bells.  Once you hit 5, you're done.  Now with singles, you have to switch hands and do 5 on the other side. The set takes longer.  So I decided to go back to an oldie but a goody.  The Rite of Passage from the book Enter The Kettlebell.

This is one of best kettlebell books ever written. The goal is to snatch a 24kg kettlebell 200 times in 10 minutes and clean and press 1/2 your bodyweight.  Two lofty goals indeed.  Which is harder?  Easy answer, both.  If I was a betting man, I figure that the press would be easier.  Not that's it's easy.  But if you really wanted to eat like a horse, really work on your technique, and if your shoulders can take it, press, press and press some more you'd get there.  Of course, gaining weight means making the press even heavier.  The snatch test?  Too many variables. I think when you get to a certain age, there is a limit on the type of condition you can be in. A month or so ago, I did something that jacked my heart rate up to 210.  I was bragging to my cousin until he told me I was an idiot and that was too fast for my age. Second, hand care, one bad rep, blister, shelf.  Third, grip strength, 100 in 5 minutes? Done it, give me 6 weeks and I'll get it again, now do 100 more?  A noble goal.  My all time best was 151, and in hindsight, had probably 160, but not much more.  I've done 200 with a 16 kg in sets of 10 in 9 minutes, and it was fatiguing.  Now add 20 lbs to each rep.  Just remember it's the journey not the result, or so I'm saying as I start this.  I'm going to stick with it for at least 12 weeks and see what happens. 

The Workouts
5 per week
Easy day, 5 ladders of 1,2,3 cleans and presses alternated with Pullups, Roll dice, do the sum for x minutes snatches, nice and easy about 50-60% effort

Variety Day

Medium Day, 5 ladders, of 1,2,3,4 cleans and presses alternated with Pullups, Roll dice do swings for sum of minutes 75% effort

Variety Day

Heavy Day, 5 ladders of 1,2,3,4,5 of cleans and press alternated with Pullups, Swings at 85-90% effort

Days off before and after heavy day. 

One change, I don't have a pullup bar.  The one I had wasn't wide enough to fit the doorways in the house I moved into 2 years ago, so we're going to do one arm rows in place.

What should I do on a variety day?  Anything you want as long as it isn't too strenuous and affects your pressing.  See it as a practice.  Or if you want to go for a run, do that. 

This book, in my opinion does have it's weaknesses  It's vague and also doesn't account for any type of squatting.  So my suggestion is do some squatting of variety days if you like.  I also don't believe you can get to 200 snatches on an easy day of snatching and under 12 minutes of swings alone, but we'll get to that later.

I'm through week 1 of the pressing, here's how it looked

9/30/16
Medium Day, 32kg/70 lb. kettlebell 
5 ladders of 1,2,3,4  left then right cleans and presses supersetted
with 5 ladders of one arm rows 40kg/88 lb. bell (1,2,3,4)

Used random.org website to roll dice......Snake eyes!  2 minutes
2 x 30 with a 40 kg/88lb. bell  60 swings

10/1/16
Variety Day 
Single kettlebell squat in the rack
40 kg/88 lb.  5 ladders of 1,2,3,4 Left and right
Two hand swings
40 kg/88 lb.
20 sets of 15 reps, 300 total. Rest until the top of each minute

I like these squats better than goblet squats.  Not only do you get to practice a clean with a heavier weight, it hits your oblique and forces you to STAY TIGHT.  If not, the bell will fall out of the rack.
Swings felt good.  The 10,000 in 10 days made this a breeze

10/2/16
Easy Day 32kg/70 lb. kettlebell
5 ladders of one clean then presses (1,2,3) Left, Right supersetted with
5 ladders of one arm rows 40kg/88 lb. bell (1,2,3)

Rolled a 9 for snatches
55 lb. bell,  10 sets of 5L, 5R, one set of 4 L, 4 R 108 reps. Did them in a nice pace, didn't really open it up.  Did my set, walk a lap around my basement, did another set.  The bell felt light.

10/3/16
Off
I did run 4.7 miles.  On Saturday I was driving to pick my son up from work on this crappy road that is pothole mired.  An 18 wheeler came at me, I moved to the right, BOOM, hit a crater. Bent my rim.  When I miraculously made it home, there was 4 PSI in my tire.  Allstate Auto came to change it and the rim was bent. Took it to my mechanic on Monday, $172 and a used rim later, I ripped off a letter to the next town's DPW asking for reimbursement.  On Sunday there was a cone in the crater which I mentioned in the letter along with a picture of my rim and my paid invoice. It's the principle of the matter. It's the beginning of October not the end of March and winter. How about having a little pride and fixing your roads?  I dropped the car off and ran from the mechanic's garage around a pond and home.  Hadn't run in 2 weeks. Made it without stopping.

10/4/16
Heavy day 32kg/70. kettlebell
5 ladders of clean and presses (1,2,3,4,5) supersetted
with 5 ladders of one arm rows 40 kg/88 lb. bell (1,2,3,4,5)
 I got all the reps, nothing got stuck. It was tiring, and took about 63 minutes. Some of the press were great, punching the bell from the rack overhead. Others, went up slower. 150 press is a lot.

Two hand swings, Rolled a 6
Did 6 x 20 and 1 x 12 with a 40 kg/88 lb. bell.  Could really feel the grip in my foreams toward the end.

I like two hand swings better than one hand.  I am of the opinion for endurance, it tests your grip better because the hands don't get a rest as when doing one hand.  Easier on the hands as well.

Tomorrow will be an off day. I might go for a walk, but other than that, recover from this morning's beating

For variety day on Thursday, I'm going to do the squat workout but only ladders of 1,2,3. Either swings or hill sprints and maybe some loaded cleans and getups.

Tips on the Rite of Passage

As having moved from 55 lbs. to successfully completing 70 lbs. presses here are some tips.

1. Don't kill yourself on variety days.  You should feel good when you're done, not peeled off the floor.  50-60% exertion is good.

2. Always go hard on your swing days with good form.  85-90%, also use a bell heavier than the snatch bell.

3. Before jumping up to the next kettlebell, own the bell you are using.  If you can complete heavy day with the bell you are working with, keep using it.  This will build a pattern of success and help you lock in your form. 8-12 sessions should do it.

4. If you miss a set or 2, put the bell down, shake it out, finish the reps.  1,2,3,4,3,2 still equals 15.  You're still getting the volume in, it's just taking an extra couple of sets. 

5. The clean is the key to a good press. If your clean isn't crisp and you don't get tight, you're press will stink too.

6. When you press, extend your alternate arm and make a fist to keep tension throughout the body. It works.

7. Have the bell deep in your palm and squeeze the handle tight.  If you get stuck, squeeze harder, the bell will move.

8.  Flex your lats and pack your shoulder.  This will protect your shoulder and you will have a stronger press.

9.  Get an intermediate bell.  Seriously, invest the money.  Going from a 24 to a 32 is 17.6 lbs.  A 62 will cost $100 or 3 months of a membership at a real gym.  You'll get at least 3 months out of it.  Most people quit because they either get bored, or try to make too big of a jump.  I still use my 62.  It's good for snatches and swings.  I'm going to invest in a 36 kg around Christmas time myself.  I've tried to press the 88.  I can't press the 88.  Push press, sure, turkish get up, absolutely.  Strict press, no.  I can press a 79 and have done it this year at a gym in San Francisco.  Did 3 reps each side actually. 

All for now, stay tuned for updates.