Kettlebell 'Grease the groove' for endurance athletes?

[Dayz]

Hey all. This might be a strange group of questions, apologies!

GTG is an amazing way of increasing the skill of strength, especially for moves that can be practiced with minimal equipment and little if any warm-up, like push-ups, chin-ups, pistols, swings, hand grippers, etc. However, I have a bunch of questions about it:

1. Will it lead to hypertrophy?

2. Is it useful for maintaining existing muscle mass, such as when losing weight?

3. Do you think it's a useful modality for an endurance athlete who wants to avoid being sore from lifting? (In order to focus on sport specific training, but to also have some strength to improve sport performance and for general athleticism/well rounded-ness)


My understanding is that it's unlikely to lead to much hypertrophy as improvements are made through improved neural adaptations, rather than from recovering from muscle damage. Indeed, the aim is to 'stay fresh' and never train to too much fatigue. My feeling is the answers to my questions are probably no to hypertrophy, yes to maintaining mass, yes to useful for endurance athletes.

Appreciate the help!

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Dayz
GTG is all about full tension and pattern learning (kind of motor control). Eventually it leads to strength increase if exercises are carefully selected.

1. Will it lead to hypertrophy?

This is not designed for hypertrophy, even if volume may be significant. This is due to the fact that there is a lot of rest between sets / reps.
It can make you body more "tonic"

2. Is it useful for maintaining existing muscle mass, such as when losing weight?

To a certain extent yes it can prevent a significant muscle mass loss. As far as losing weight, I have never experienced it.

3. Do you think it's a useful modality for an endurance athlete who wants to avoid being sore from lifting?

I think it may work. An optimal way to do it would be to GTG the moves you usually do in a regular program.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[offwidth]

3. Do you think it's a useful modality for an endurance athlete who wants to avoid being sore from lifting? (In order to focus on sport specific training, but to also have some strength to improve sport performance and for general athleticism/well rounded-ness)

It‘s always worked for me...

 

[Dayz]

It‘s always worked for me...

I know you ride as well. What exercises did you choose? Did you do any other strength programming?

 

[Erik Hournou]

You could Gtg with goblet squats, must be easier on the body. even mixing up swings in between.

 

[offwidth]

I know you ride as well. What exercises did you choose? Did you do any other strength programming?

Yes, I ride. I also run (mostly trail) and I engage in alpine climbing and mountaineering. So I probably fit the description of an endurance guy...

At numerous times over the years I have been successful incorporating GTG for: Push-ups (incl. OAPU), Pistols, Calf Raises, Pull-ups, and various grip exercises.

The only other ’strength training’ I do is S&S, various pull-up programmes, and a variety of grip and ab routines

 

[kurt perham]

i have a similar sport schema to @offwidth with MTB, trail running and then nordic and skimo in winter. Im experimenting with Easy strength now but often run hybrid models of S&S or Q&D all year.

the ? re: hypertrophy is mute with me. Im 50, eat like an endurance athlete and train a fair bit. being anabolic for me rare.

I use it to keep hips, low back and "core" all primed and then the benefits of grip strength and "tension"

 

[Dayz]

Thanks all! This has been helpful. After this discussion, I'm fairly sure I'm going to switch to GTG as I draw closer to races/events I care about.

In the meantime I'm going to keep running the two-weekly strength routine I outlined in this thread - Neural drive and endurance - which uses Dan John's 5 movements.

I'm 5 weeks into that (and have been practicing/progressing the same movements about 8 weeks now), and have had some good results already.

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Dayz
Obviously, if you found a program which works for you, keep running it !

Just for the sake of moutain climbing training, below is another strategy created by D. John.

Dan John University | World Class Workouts On Demand

Here you will find Dan's most famous programs along with a customizable workout generator built to suit your needs. Whether you are trying to lose weight or get really strong for the upcoming season, you'll find a program right for you.

www.danjohnuniversity.com

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

GTG is an amazing way of increasing the skill of strength,

Pet

I am echoing Pets post...

Technique Training

Increasing the skill of a strength movement, any movement revolves around lower repetition with longer rest period between sets, as pet stated.


The lower repetition with longer rest periods ensure you are able to maximize your technique; due to being fresh.

When fatigue sets in technique falls apart, the muscle firing sequence changes. That means it become a completely different exercise; you lear to perform it incorrectly.

1. Will it lead to hypertrophy?

No

There are three factor that promoted Hypertrophy...

1) Mechanical Tension: Increasing Maximum Strength.

2) Metabolic Stress: This is "The Pump"/"The Burn"; higher repetition are required.

3) Muscle Damage: Infrequently pushing the muscle to failure or near failure in a training cycle.

Also, full range of motion exercises. Loaded muscles in the full range of an exercise produce Muscle Damage.

2. Is it useful for maintaining existing muscle mass, such as when losing weight?

"Use It or Lose It"

Muscle mass is preserved if it us used. The body views it a necessary for survival.

3. Do you think it's a useful modality for an endurance athlete who wants to avoid being sore from lifting?

Endurance Technique

Technique, even with endurance sports, is important. You need to be as efficient as possible. As Dr Tom McLaughlin (PhD Biomechanics) said, "Technique is everything".

However, previously stated,, as fatigue sets in, technique falls apart.

Soreness

Soreness occurs when muscle are subjected to movement they have not performed, as well as starting off with an intensity that is too high.

The key to anything new is to ease into it.