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Kettlebell De-Loading Week : Training Suggestions?

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MarkSch

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I am about to wrap up week 12 of Kettlebell Muscle, and the program as written directs me to take a week off and stay away from heavy training.

Can y'all give me some suggestions as to what to do for that week? I considered windmills,stretching, perhaps brisk walking ( I hate running). That all sounds...kinda dull and easy.

Do you think loaded carries are too much? If not, should I go for heavy weight( bodyweight +) , or long distance with a lighter weight?

Thanks in advance.
 
Original Strength.

Spend a week's worth of training time doing all the flexibility/mobility/movement stuff you normally neglect.

Loaded carries are fine. However, in general, try to resist the temptation to put in another hard training week doing something different. Making a rule for yourself that you won't touch a bell or other weight is one way to facilitate this.
 
I'm a big fan of walking. I'm an even bigger fan of walking or hiking out in nature if you have it available to you. I have a small nature park within walking distance of my house, even though it only has one mile of trails - I regularly use it because it is so easy to get to. I have several larger ones (10-20 miles of trails) within a 20 minute drive. I really enjoy these over "just walking around the neighborhood". They recharge me in a different way.
 
On the record I will say stick with the program. If it recommends a deload week then deload. S&S is a good idea for the deload week.

Off the record let me play Devil's Advocate. Some have questioned whether deload weeks are really necessary. If you don't feel you need a deload don't take one. The Westside system doesn't really have deload weeks. They simply rotate exercises. The idea here is that a different stimulus in the form of doing a different exercise is enough to give the body a "break" from the previous training. So, your idea of doing weighted carries would fit the bill here. Even if you do these heavy and hard, the stimulus is different so your body and nervous system will get a "break."

What would I really do if in your situation? Probably just swings for conditioning using lighter weight and higher reps. I wouldn't even bother with get ups; just swings.
 
Steve W. said:
Original Strength.

Spend a week's worth of training time doing all the flexibility/mobility/movement stuff you normally neglect.

Loaded carries are fine. However, in general, try to resist the temptation to put in another hard training week doing something different. Making a rule for yourself that you won't touch a bell or other weight is one way to facilitate this.
Click to expand...

+ 1
 
MikeTheBear said:
Even if you do these heavy and hard, the stimulus is different so your body and nervous system will get a "break."
Click to expand...

I agree that an entire deload week may not be necessary but I'm not sure I believe this line.

Does your nervous system really know the difference between movements or does it just know how hard you're working it in general?
 
@MattM That's a good question. The Westside guys think that switching up movements is enough to give the nervous system a break. But many of their lifters are "enhanced." Still, from my experience, I think there is something to switching up the stimulus acting as a form of deload.
 
After following Westside method, the deload comes in the form of sub maximal weights in dynamic and assistance movements and the schedule. You're only doing max weights once per week and have 5 days of rest each week. Changing exercises every three weeks did not seem to be as important for me - I'm not a 1,000lb squatter though.
 
I like to really Unload. Extra naps. Walking. Fast n loose type movement. Maybe some light tumbling and crawling.

Think about pampering the rest and repair mechanism - extra sleep, water and pumping the lymphatic system with easy movement.
 
Thanks everyone -- I really appreciate the feedback.
Based on the above, I am leaning towards stretching, checking out Fast and Loose ( which I've heard a lot about on these forums) , and perhaps some loaded carries. Should be a big change.
After that, the ROP again, chasing that elusive 1/2 bodyweight press.
 
when I have a week off I Like to play around with the bells doing some things I don't have a ton of experience with yet. practicing double bottoms up, double snatches, jerks maybe. It's just play time with the bells. light weight and not much structure.
 
Bro Mo said:
After following Westside method, the deload comes in the form of sub maximal weights in dynamic and assistance movements and the schedule. You're only doing max weights once per week and have 5 days of rest each week. Changing exercises every three weeks did not seem to be as important for me - I'm not a 1,000lb squatter though.
Click to expand...

Side note. When I was at my strongest, I was following a program designed by a Westside coaches named Rick Scarpulla. There were two max-effort days per week and two dynamic effort days. I rotated exercises every three week because he didn't think the weights were enough to need them rotated every week. The prescription was easy for max effort. Triples until I couldn't, followed by singles until I couldn't. Followed by 8-10 rep sets of pull-ups, dips, things like that. His emphasis was on developing the triceps.

To the original post, enjoy an easy week. Stretch, move, do body maintenance. It's only a week.
 
this has been said by many people, but it really stuck out to me when I heard ed coan say it in a video: 'put the same amount of effort into your recovery as you do your training' (paraphrase)

do the 'boring' stuff you don't want to do but know you need to

i'm the worst at following this piece of advice, but maybe you can give it a try
 
i always liked idea of not doing nothing for 5 days and doing 2 days of "fun" so nothing hard nothing easy just like in between.
 
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