Kettlebell Biceps hypertrophy with S&S

[BCman]

Try pull ups on rings or a similar device that allows your hands to move freely. You might find that it takes the pressure off of the elbow.
I don't see the biceps doing much work on the swing unless you keep the arm bend on the down swing. The arms should be loose like ropes after all.

I've tried that, just to much abuse over the years. I'm one of those guys that has very strong lats, without even trying. Palms facing each other grip seems to be the least aggravating for my elbows.

As for the swings, my arms are relaxed on the way down, then they flex in a straight arm positon when I hinge to take the force of deceleration. and relax again as soon as I explode forward. At the top of the swing I activate my lat to guide the bell back down safely, and keep the shoulder down.

Al

 

[ericreichelt81]

I'm not sure how the swing taught anymore, I'm a former RKC and a bent arm was never promoted. I loved the kb for many things, but let's just be clear with what causes hypertrophy most aptly. Contracting and stretching the muscle through a complete range of motion. Of course other factors can be discussed, but the swing or get ups by no means develop muscle very efficiently. This was the same issue that drove me nuts coaching, use the right tools for the job.

 

[Joshua]

Man honestly, I've gotten more comments on my forearms than anything and I'm only just moving to a 32kg.

I'm a security professional and bodyguard, and every time someone tries to level with me they always wuss out and comment on the forearms.

They aren't huge, but they're just sinewy and the same same size as my upper arm.

I do bents instead of GUs as well. So my trap development has increased exponentially

Do your bents and swings!!

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Joshua
What weight do you use to always be "operational" and keep progressing ?

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Joshua]

@pet' hey mate, I always use a 24kg. Keeps me feeling good. I work the 32kg in now and again.
The 24kg is perfect for me, I like that weight.

I'm deadlifting around 200kg at 70kg as well. So my strength is fine.

Slowly but surely, I'll transition completely to the 32kg bell.

I find the 32 fairly alright to handle but I like snails pace, no point being injured for my job or being run down

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Joshua
I currently use 28 for my BnP (5 reps each side) and 40 for the swings. I weigh only 60 so I am pretty light. Your DL is impressive related to your bdw ! I only DL 130 hehe.

Is "Bent & Sinister" your only physical training ?

Kind regards

 

[Kozushi]

I can feel a lot of muscle all over my body that wasn't there 5 months ago. Still covered in chub but it's undeniable. My lats, glutes and forearms feel like slabs of concrete below.

Shockingly my bi's and tri's have grown too. More biceps I think and they feel very solid. This is a most unusual thing for me, I've found myself sitting there poking it in confusion and must look very strange to other people.

I gained about 2 kg since I started S&S but lost LOTS of fat. If I say never missed a day of S&S ever I think I'd be terrifically lean, but as it is I'm still pretty trim from S&S. I used to be a big fat fill in the blank. No longer. It's hard work, fun, and fat-killing.

 

[Kozushi]

I don't know, I am 50 & just starting on the road to Simple. I am aiming to hit the Sinister standards, probably next year, but that is my goal. Age is a just a number, at least to me. I am fighting to lose weight, battling diabetes, as well as father time. So far, I feel like I have been winning more since I started towards the Simple standard. My body feels so much better, and "cheat days" aren't nearly as devastating as they used to make me feel. So, I figure if I can get up to the Sinister standard, I will have beaten back aging, and I will have gotten close, if not have beaten diabetes, and I will be better off than I was before I started, defying father time.

Have faith, stick to your plan to get to Simple, and see how you feel once you get to boast that you have hit a fitness goal many our age will never come close to achieving. Once you have done so. I believe that there is something inside of you that will push you towards a goal you presently view as unattainable. It will, at that point, not be as daunting as it now seems.

Just my thoughts.

I know there are exceptions but 9 10ths of the time working out hard, intelligently like with S&S will both prolong our lives and make them very much healthier. The more research studies are done on this the more they prove that hard exercise within reason of course extends life dramatically.

 

[Kozushi]

This may be a separate thread.

I was super sedentary from the age of 25ish until I turned 44 when I picked up kettlebells and the barbell. I remember starting cleans and snatches with the 12kg bell (it was totally embarrassing because ETK suggested the men start with the 16kg). I'm just saying that I'm not someone who has a base built over decades like some of the people that I see around here, but I'm very happy with the progress that I've made. At one point I thought that Swings and get ups with the 32kg were an unreasonable goal, but I'm doing the swings without a problem and closing in on the get ups.

At 48, I'm not sure how fair the gains can continue. I know that for the SFG "masters" only snatch the 20kg bell at the cert. That makes me think that I'll start to accept more limits in the next few years.

Who cares even how heavy we go? Challenging our bodies to the point of cardio vascular and muscle gains is all that matters for health.

 

[pet']

Hello,

Who cares even how heavy we go? Challenging our bodies to the point of cardio vascular and muscle gains is all that matters for health.

+1

We are not here to compete, but to get stronger. If you are stronger today than you were yesterday, then you are on the right track to get even stronger tomorrow.

A program is only a tool. If one uses is poorly, then it will not properly deliver. I am frankly healthier and stronger since I use Pavel's principles
short but daily training (both with bells or bdw) using big muscle groups, full tension, good rest and good food are my main ones.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Joshua]

@pet'
Bent and sinister is my only training.
I might do chins 3x a week but that's all.

I do knife defence and bodyguard training also. But that is all technique.

Only Bent and Sinister for the past 4 months.

I could have gone to a 32kg 2 months ago but I keep my ego in check. Here for a long time not a sore time

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

@pet'
Bent and sinister is my only training.
I might do chins 3x a week but that's all.

I do knife defence and bodyguard training also. But that is all technique.

Only Bent and Sinister for the past 4 months.

I could have gone to a 32kg 2 months ago but I keep my ego in check. Here for a long time not a sore time

It's definitely a struggle for me not to race ahead and 'jump' to the heaviest weight possible, but it's certainly the more effective path to work on building strength rather than feeling the need to demonstrate it at every available opportunity.

I came dangerously close to buying a pair of 32kg competition bells on eBay last week (and at a bodyweight of just under 64kg!). I know I wouldn't have been able to resist trying them out and would almost certainly have bruised or torn something.

I find that, in many ways, the ego is the biggest barrier to making strength gains.

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Chrisdavisjr
I weigh 60. I swing 1H @40 (S&S like). Nonetheless, I have limits for other moves: I can do the snatch test @20, hitting a 5/5 EMOM with C&J @24 but not more for instance.

For some moves, I am not afraid of a big jump. Nonetheless, big ones for GU have always scared me more : I do not want to make the bell drop on the floor of the flat, hitting a furniture, etc... I have this kind of mental barrier, as stupid as it can be

Nonethless, related to hypertrophy, I tend to consider it only as a consequence of my strength training. Indeed, I've never trained, I will probably never do it, for aesthetics first.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Joshua]

@Chrisdavisjr man I completely agree with you. I train with the 32kg 3x a week. No more than that. And the other 4 days just with the 24kg. As a security professional I can't afford injury or DOMS. Especially when I bounce at clubs, but that being said Bent and Sinister had made KS strong beyond belief. Ask the 130kg Muscle freak I out through a fence last Saturday haha.

Your comment is I agree with wholeheartedly.

@pet' that's so strong man, especially at your weight. What's your physique characteristics and height ??

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Joshua

@pet' that's so strong man, especially at your weight. What's your physique characteristics and height ??

Thank you

I weigh 60kg and heigh 1,82m. I have a rest HR at 50bpm. In terms of "figures" related to lifts, I terms of figures, I have pretty modest results comparing to some Beasts here on the forum : max press is 30 (each side), max get up is 40 (each side), I swing @40, DL max is 130, able to do the snatch test @20 (which is my bell weight related to my bodyweight), pistol squat @32

Related to bodyweight moves: pistols and variations (hawaian, dragon, standard, etc...), OAOL PU, 1H elbow lever, front lever (5s hold), one arm chin up (2 in a row, each side)

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[masa]

@pet' you're über strong.

 

[Harry Westgate]

@pet' Damn I never knew you were that tall! To have achieved what you have with such a small frame is really impressive! I believe we've discussed it a little before but could you remind me what your athletic background is? Am I right to recall that you have done martial arts of some form?

 

[Dan_123]

@pet was Chuck Norris's training partner he didn't want to spar with.

 

[pet']

Hello,

@Harry Westgate
Thank you

It tooks me looooooong hours to get there, I did some mistakes too, but I learnt a lot.

My background is:
> 7 years of judo, 4 of boxing
> 7 years of "physical training" : I went through various programs (bodyweight only, using high rep sets with short rest ; resistance (band training) ; running & swimming using MAF ; kettlebells (S&S (Simple, currently swinging 40, GU for maintenance @40 too) ; now, I mix bdw and kb everyday, always using SF principles and standard to get a quality training)
> I do diving and free diving.

What I learnt:
> what is overtraining and how to avoid it
> how to eat, what to eat, when to eat
> motivation
> making my training both mental and physical, almost "martial"
> patience
> dedication (refining technique, etc...)
> how to design a good program with my constraints and goals (thanks to SF forum )

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[malleus]

Hello,

@Harry Westgate
Thank you

It tooks me looooooong hours to get there, I did some mistakes too, but I learnt a lot.

My background is:
> 7 years of judo, 4 of boxing
> 7 years of "physical training" : I went through various programs (bodyweight only, using high rep sets with short rest ; resistance (band training) ; running & swimming using MAF ; kettlebells (S&S (Simple, currently swinging 40, GU for maintenance @40 too) ; now, I mix bdw and kb everyday, always using SF principles and standard to get a quality training)
> I do diving and free diving.

What I learnt:
> what is overtraining and how to avoid it
> how to eat, what to eat, when to eat
> motivation
> making my training both mental and physical, almost "martial"
> patience
> dedication (refining technique, etc...)
> how to design a good program with my constraints and goals (thanks to SF forum )

Kind regards,

Pet'

Cool. can you explain a little bit : how to eat, what to eat, when to eat?