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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB AleksSalkin 9 min challenge

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I've done a handful of Aleks' programs and like the simplicity and elegance of his programs, including his 9 min KB / BW challenge, his smaller challenges (Get Up Domination, Gaitrix, Exodus) and his signature programs (Gainsgiving, 300, Super 6).

As noted above, one of my favourite takeaways is learning to relax when my tendency is to get tight (e.g. crawling ... imagine how loose yet strong a lion is when they crawl). With his hypertrophy program (Gainsgiving), I made some pretty solid gains in 6 weeks and also felt I was able to move better. I'm currently on another hypertrophy program (Summer Swole) and loving it so far!

And while I love the elegance of his programming, my favourite thing about his programs is the stories he tells, usually about old school strength :)
 
He was promoting a hypertrophy program a few weeks back. I think he called it "summer swole". I'm not sure if he's still selling it, if you shoot him an email or tag him on here I'm sure he'll answer and questions you have. @AleksSalkin

Around the holiday he also runs one called “Gainsgiving” which I enjoyed.
Thanks for the heads up! I checked them out and they both seem like kettlebell / calisthenics programs, whereas this 9 minute workout combines OS / kettlebells and calisthenics. I think I'll just do this 9 minute challenge for a few months and maybe later figure out how to tweak it for mass.
 
Just out of curiosity, how long is it taking you guys to finish the movements? I've done two days now and, keeping it easy, some of my movements are being done for 60s at a time, some 30s at a time, and some 15s at a time. Obviously some of those are way too heavy for what i'm trying to accomplish here (easy, relaxed) and I need to find lighter variations of the movements, but I'm curious how you guys are accumulating the three minutes. Anything between sets of 30s-60s feels pretty good to me, but I feel like I can relax more with the 60s sets.
 
Just out of curiosity, how long is it taking you guys to finish the movements? I've done two days now and, keeping it easy, some of my movements are being done for 60s at a time, some 30s at a time, and some 15s at a time. Obviously some of those are way too heavy for what i'm trying to accomplish here (easy, relaxed) and I need to find lighter variations of the movements, but I'm curious how you guys are accumulating the three minutes. Anything between sets of 30s-60s feels pretty good to me, but I feel like I can relax more with the 60s sets.
When I did it a while back, I did the marching in one hit, the crawling I had to break into 2 if I did leopard crawls over 6-point crawling and the dead bugs I'd split into 4 or 5 sets to get to 3 mins. I guess I could have done an easier deadbug variety, but I don't know how to do them. Just did the standard ones with maybe a 1:1 or 1:2 work:rest ratio.
 
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
I have incorporated Aleks 9 minute challenge as a warm-up before my workouts for a few months and found it gets my body ready for any movement chain exercise involved. It's beauty is that it's quick fun and effective.

I also completed Aleks crawlidays challenge last year and continue to utilise a shorter daily version of the crawl variations and can't recommend it enough. Daily crawling has benefited me in not only my workouts but also my capabilities at work (concreter) and most importantly helped to chase my son and young neice/nephews around the park as the most ugly looking dog you have ever seen.
 
I did a couple of Aleks' programs since "crawlidays2" back in 2019.
I enjoyed (and still enjoy) the 9min challenges (KB&BW as well as BW only) as a warm up or finisher.
His "OS-challenges" (Rollapalooza, Gaitrix, the experimental OS protocol, etc.) are more than worth a try!

Looking for an easy to understand program and easy to follow program that won't get boring and that you can modify for every level of fitness? - Shoot the man an e-mail, get the 9min challenge(s), visit his FB page and become a "happy Hammerhead".
 
Just out of curiosity, how long is it taking you guys to finish the movements? I've done two days now and, keeping it easy, some of my movements are being done for 60s at a time, some 30s at a time, and some 15s at a time. Obviously some of those are way too heavy for what i'm trying to accomplish here (easy, relaxed) and I need to find lighter variations of the movements, but I'm curious how you guys are accumulating the three minutes. Anything between sets of 30s-60s feels pretty good to me, but I feel like I can relax more with the 60s sets.

For me, I do them as light as possible. 3-4 sets, first set is probably a minute or so then goes down to 30-45 seconds.
 
I've done a handful of Aleks' programs and like the simplicity and elegance of his programs, including his 9 min KB / BW challenge, his smaller challenges (Get Up Domination, Gaitrix, Exodus) and his signature programs (Gainsgiving, 300, Super 6).

As noted above, one of my favourite takeaways is learning to relax when my tendency is to get tight (e.g. crawling ... imagine how loose yet strong a lion is when they crawl). With his hypertrophy program (Gainsgiving), I made some pretty solid gains in 6 weeks and also felt I was able to move better. I'm currently on another hypertrophy program (Summer Swole) and loving it so far!

And while I love the elegance of his programming, my favourite thing about his programs is the stories he tells, usually about old school strength :)

In his website, I can’t see his programs.. How do you check/see his other programs?
 
I haven’t taken a “baseline” of my movement quality before I have started his challenge a week ago. But I feel not only my movement got better during the challenge but also I feel, I walk better.

This challenge seems to address the gait problems that u might have, which is something huge.

I have decided to take a video of me during challenge and in some near future might post a before/after.
 
I strongly recommend all of Aleks' programs! I've done nothing else since the end of 2020 when I came across his work (although right now I'm following a Salkin-esque version of Tom Furman's Armor of War that I made up). I've set a lot of PRs, leaned up, and move much better. Really cool. I also have to admit that, probably like many here, initially I was pretty skeptical of OS's claims as they were pretty grand and the science doesn't make sense to me. It still doesn't make sense to me honestly, but since all the people singing its praises were fitter, stronger, and moved better than me, I got off my high horse to try it, and it got rid of years of neck and knee pain, and also finally unlocked my hamstring flexibility. The 9min challenge is a great start, I'm doing it again right now in fact, but I recommend in particular the OS Experimental Protocol, I think it was called, where you pair resets with your standard strength movements to "unlock" them, testing which ones work for you. That got me really strong, and also improved my left limb co-ordination in a lasting way that years of various sports hadn't. e.g., before, I could do a 32kg pistol on both sides, but could only do an unloaded pistol on my right side. I also had never been able to do a left-handed OAPU, as my shoulder would slip off the "lat shelf", even when I got strong enough that the movement didn't feel heavy. That program fixed both of those!
 
I'm enjoying the 9-minute challenge as an add-on to what I'm already doing. I hadn't done any marching before now, but it's not overly strenuous, but after 3 continuous minutes of it, you definitely notice!
I feel you. When I did the 3 minutes of marching I thought that I had to carry some weight to feel it. I didn‘t and had to take a break after 90 seconds. My hip flectors were burning and I was surprises by this!
 
I strongly recommend all of Aleks' programs! I've done nothing else since the end of 2020 when I came across his work (although right now I'm following a Salkin-esque version of Tom Furman's Armor of War that I made up). I've set a lot of PRs, leaned up, and move much better. Really cool. I also have to admit that, probably like many here, initially I was pretty skeptical of OS's claims as they were pretty grand and the science doesn't make sense to me. It still doesn't make sense to me honestly, but since all the people singing its praises were fitter, stronger, and moved better than me, I got off my high horse to try it, and it got rid of years of neck and knee pain, and also finally unlocked my hamstring flexibility. The 9min challenge is a great start, I'm doing it again right now in fact, but I recommend in particular the OS Experimental Protocol, I think it was called, where you pair resets with your standard strength movements to "unlock" them, testing which ones work for you. That got me really strong, and also improved my left limb co-ordination in a lasting way that years of various sports hadn't. e.g., before, I could do a 32kg pistol on both sides, but could only do an unloaded pistol on my right side. I also had never been able to do a left-handed OAPU, as my shoulder would slip off the "lat shelf", even when I got strong enough that the movement didn't feel heavy. That program fixed both of those!

I don't think anyone can clearly explain why OS works. It just does. I wish I just went with it earlier but was also too skeptical. I did a whole program of Aleks on head nods! Really helped forward head posture and shoulder tension. The other reason I like it is that it does not get in the way of regular SF KB and barbell work but helps it.
 
In his website, I can’t see his programs.. How do you check/see his other programs?
You can google Aleks Salkin and the name of one of the programs (Gainsgiving) and then you can see the shop of all the programs. I don‘t know why he doesn‘t provide a link to his shop on his webside.
 
Thank you guys so much for your all your kind words. I'm really glad to hear so many of you have gotten so much out of the 9 Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge as well as my other programs.

By the way, if anyone has any further questions regarding the 9 Minute Challenge or my other programs, feel free to respond here and I'm happy to answer.
 
Thank you guys so much for your all your kind words. I'm really glad to hear so many of you have gotten so much out of the 9 Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge as well as my other programs.

By the way, if anyone has any further questions regarding the 9 Minute Challenge or my other programs, feel free to respond here and I'm happy to answer.
Do you think it’s a viable strategy to scale the 9 minute challenge to a solo program by increasing the 3x3 minute timer to say 3x8-10 minutes? Or would you rather include other movements or programming as well?
 
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