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Kettlebell TGU alternative

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ShawnM

ShawnM

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I am a 45 year old, 25 year military vet that has been using the swing portion of S&S for around three years with great success. At 5'11 and about 240lbs I can run a mile in under seven minutes and when rolling in my twice a week BJJ classes I have no issues gassing. Basically I experience all the WTH effects I have read about. Now here is my problem, I have very bad elbows. I can do pressing motions relatively pain free but can't do tgu's without pain in my elbows for days. I have OA in both elbow joints and have had them both cleaned out twice. I have a limited range of motion, making the rack position pretty fun to watch.

I have thought of doing a press protocol similar to the swings every other training session , or maybe single arm overhead Squats for ten reps in place of the get ups. I am wondering what you all think? I alternate swing sessions with 10x10 with the 70 or a lighter bell, 53, for 16-20x10. On the lighter volume days I mix ten push ups between sets to keep me fresh for my navy prt's.

Thanks to all of you for this great site!
 
I have thought of the bent press, I have several SF trainers here to help there.

With the overhead squat I use a light bell. My core and shoulder strength is pretty solid.

Thanks for the reply.
 
I am starting back to near the beginning with get ups. Using a 12kg bell and doing ten reps at the end of each training session. I am not going to rush, just take and hit each position with a few second pause to drill down on form. Truth be told I get frustrated being able to swing a 32kg but have problems with a 20kg on the get up. I realized I just need to spend a bit more time on my weak link.
 
don't worry it takes time :) thing is, you can't skip the time , it always takes some kind of work to get the result :)
 
ShawnM said:
I am starting back to near the beginning with get ups. Using a 12kg bell and doing ten reps at the end of each training session. I am not going to rush, just take and hit each position with a few second pause to drill down on form. Truth be told I get frustrated being able to swing a 32kg but have problems with a 20kg on the get up. I realized I just need to spend a bit more time on my weak link.
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Most sources I have read say that full ROM exercise but NOT causing pain or increased inflammation is a key piece to keeping arthritis at bay!

Have you tried collagen supplements? There is little research but a ton of "buzz" about bone broth, gelatin, and hydrolyzed collagen as being excellent for arthritis of all kinds. I started taking the collagen about a week or so ago and already knees (heavily worn at age 66 with very thin cartilage) feel noticeably much better, more mobile, less to no pain, etc. I think bone broth likely the best way to go but it is a heck of a lot of work to make enough to keep yourself supplied! I did find what looks to be about best price and one of few available powdered 100% grass fed/finished beef, bone broth supplements here

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSH6BX...TF8&colid=2S27KFDVY45DW&coliid=I3IINL929MKGBQ
Bone Broth Powder - Pure Protein Organics 1lb refill

Same outfit has 2 lb available on Amazon for much less $ per serving.
 
@GeoffreyLevens- Thanks for the info. I just read about the collegen for OA and will be speaking with my commands medical officer at my next appointment. For the most part I have narrowed down the issues that cause the most inflammation and do my best to avoid them. Bench pressing kills me yet overhead press doesn't seem to bother me much. Same with knees, no squats but I can deadlift without much issue. I just started running PTTP yesterday with 5l/5r swings with the 28kg bell EMOM and ten alternating reps of get ups with a 12kg bell. I just got a bit frustated with the slow progression on get ups compared to my swings.
As I get older I get rather painful reminders that I need to take my time and execute with precision. Thanks again for the information- Shawn
 
Shawn, always well worth detailed checking of your diet to make certain something you eat is not exacerbating the issue. Common suspects of course gluten and dairy but sugar and refined carbs of course are problematic for everyone. Also, anything specific to you and if something is causing trouble, even small, occasional amounts could easily be an issue. I am saying all this as 25+ years practitioner of Chinese medicine
 
@GeoffreyLevens- Thanks for the information. I just recently changed my diet to more of a paleo diet. I rarely use dairy, just a splash of milk in morning coffee, and I have removed almost all simple grains as well as sugar. The first ten days or so was rough but things have settled out. Thanks again-Shawn
 
Shawn, there's no need to use any weight when practicing the form for the TGU. The S&S book recommends a shoe on your fist to make sure you can do it without dropping it, as do most SFG instructors, etc. Most adults haven't rolled on the floor for a long time, and, even if there's no medical issue, it takes awhile to find the precise placements that work and are painless. This is hard to do with a weight! I had really sharp knee pain sometimes when I landed on the knee after the sweep, but quickly found that if I rotated the hips more and landed on a better spot on the knee. Likewise, the roll to elbow is hard to execute properly and takes some unweighted practice to learn it well. If it's a medical problem, that's a whole different complication to sort out.
 
@Matts- Thanks for the advice, I greatly appreciate it. At night before I shower and shave for the day I go through the get up motions. I started this Monday and it has helped a lot. I do BJJ so I am on the floor a few days and am comfortable there. I have a few injuries from my Iraq deployments that seem to cause a feeling of instability. I have found that spending more time with a lighter bell is what I need instead of rushing to hit a number. I got frustrated with a strong swing and the get up just wasn't getting up for me as quick. In BJJ they stress being humble, I forgot the message applies to all of life's pursuits. Thanks again for reaching out, I appreciate it- Shawn.
 
ShawnM- no worries. If you're someone who's strong, athletic, and used to seeing and doing most moves quickly, then the TGU will be a great learning experience for you! haha Learning it correctly requires us to slow down, think, pattern the moves very carefully, find out what works for our individual anatomy, and only then add weight. Each step can be a problem-solving challenge. There are many good videos from Strongfirst and SFG instructors on youtube that are helpful. If you have instability from your injuries, and they don't preclude it altogether, the TGU will probably help you immensely once you get it down and add weight. It really gets the whole body working as a unit. Thanks for your service!
 
Have you tried doing some "straight arm" gymnastic type static holds to work the joints in that "end range"? Nothing crazy. Maybe just in a push-up position on rings or parallets? Might help build that needed strength stability there without adding on too much complexity.
 
@Rambro1- no, but thanks for the idea. I am headed to the gym shortly and will add some to mu between set rest periods. Thanks for the idea-Shawn
 
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